Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu claimed on Sunday that NATO has “no intention” of intervening in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, but vowed that his country would respond to any attack on a NATO ally. Throughout the conflict, Turkey has attempted to balance its relationship with both the alliance and Russia.
“NATO’s position is clear. The alliance has no intention of interfering in the Ukrainian conflict,” Cavusoglu told reporters on Sunday after a trip to Latin America.
However, Turkey’s top diplomat added that “in the event of the slightest attack on any ally, we will respond adequately.”
NATO is not a direct participant in the Ukraine conflict, but its member states have shipped weapons and ammunition to Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, the US has shared intelligence with Kiev, and Ukrainian troops are being trained on NATO bases in Europe.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused NATO of “essentially going to war with Russia through a proxy and arming that proxy,” while Russian President Vladimir Putin warned outside players against intervening in the conflict last week, threatening to unleash a “swift, lightning-fast” response should Russia’s security be put at risk.