German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has branded a recent joint photo of Vladimir Putin with Recep Tayyip Erdogan a challenge to NATO. The image was shot during a meeting between the Russian and Turkish leaders in Iran.
The photo features the three presidents, with host Ebrahim Raisi in the middle, holding hands and smiling. In an interview with Bild published on Saturday, Baerbock noted that this picture is “more than incomprehensible” for her, “especially from the point of view of a NATO member.”
While being part of the alliance, Turkey has deviated from other member states in choosing a neutral stance in the Ukraine conflict. NATO as a whole officially considers Russia a threat.
“The fact that the Turkish president is in this photo is a challenge, to put it mildly,” she said.