Turkey open to deploying troops in Ukraine if required, according to sources

Ankara considers contributing forces to monitor ceasefire if necessary, but no final decision yet made.
Text: Óscar Ontañón Docal
Published 2025-03-06

Turkey may send troops to Ukraine if needed to assist in a potential peacekeeping mission, but this remains under review, a Turkish defence ministry source said on Wednesday (via Reuters).

With NATO's second-largest army after the United States, Turkey's involvement would primarily focus on ensuring regional stability and peace, contingent on a ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia. The possibility of a Turkish deployment has been discussed in conceptual terms, with no formal plans yet in place.

While the European Union's major military powers, including Britain and France, are already considering troop contributions to monitor a ceasefire, the United States has made it clear that it will not send forces. Turkey, despite its historic rivalry with Russia, has been careful to maintain diplomatic ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, mediating previous peace agreements.

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