As European leaders strive to strengthen their military forces amid rising concerns over the U.S.’s commitment to defending Europe, Turkey, boasting the second-largest army in NATO, could play a crucial role in Europe’s plans, particularly in peacekeeping operations in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during his visit to Turkey on Tuesday, emphasized the importance of deploying troops from allied countries to guarantee any peace agreement reached with Russia.
“Two issues are very important: a strong Ukrainian army and the deployment of armies from Europe and the United States, our partners, to Ukraine,” he said.
Zelensky added that he discussed this issue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but it was too early to disclose the outcomes of their talks.
While Erdogan has close ties with Zelensky, the Turkish leader has also maintained good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, with the second-largest army in NATO, Turkey is in a strong position to support Ukraine.
“If the parties agree, Turkey could send our troops to peacekeeping operations. Why do I say this? Turkey has been part of many UN peacekeeping operations, and the Turkish army is very strong,” said Mesut Casin, an advisor to the Turkish president.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ruled out the possibility of NATO peacekeeping forces being deployed to Ukraine.
But the importance of the Turkish military for European security could increase, with the United States urging Europe to take on more responsibility for its defense.
“We believe this is an important part of being together in a cooperative alliance, that Europeans increase their commitment while America focuses on areas of the world at greater risk,” said U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Poor human rights records have strained Turkey’s relations with the European Union. However, according to analysts, shared concerns over Russia are creating opportunities for cooperation in the security field.
“Turkey and European countries share the same geostrategic interests. If you ask Turkish political leaders, for them, the primary threat to the security, stability, and integrity of the country remains Russia,” said Federico Donelli from the University of Trieste, reports VOA.
European leaders met this week to discuss the security threat facing the continent.
With a massive military compared to any European force, Ankara says it could play a key role in defending Europe.
