Turkish President to discuss Russia-Ukraine conflict with NATO Secretary General
ANKARA – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday during his visit to Ankara, a Turkish official said on Sunday.
Russia struck Ukraine with a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile on Thursday in retaliation to Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British missiles against Russia.
On Wednesday, Erdogan opposed a U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to attack inside Russia, saying it would further inflame the conflict, according to a readout shared by his office.
Moscow says that by giving the green light for Ukraine to fire Western missiles deep inside Russia, the U.S. and its allies are entering into direct conflict with Russia. On Tuesday, Putin approved policy changes that lowered the threshold for Russia to use nuclear weapons in response to an attack with conventional weapons.
Before his scheduled visit to Turkey, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, where they discussed “global security challenges facing the Alliance,” according to a NATO spokesperson.
Rutte and his team also met with Congressman Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick to be his national security adviser when he returns to the White House, and other members of the president-elect’s national security team.
