February 25, 2022–As Russia closed in on Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv, the NATO alliance held an emergency virtual meeting today.
Just hours before the meeting, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an suggested that NATO and the European Union should have stopped the invasion. “NATO should have taken a more decisive step,” Erdogan said to reporters, according to Reuters and other press reports.
“The EU and all the rest of the West have failed to display a decisive and serious stance. They give plenty of advice to Ukraine. It’s not possible to get a result through this advice,” Erdo?an said.
Turkey is a NATO member and a neighbor of Russia. In a press release on Thursday, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry rejected Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
“This attack, beyond destroying the Minsk agreements, is a grave violation of international law and poses a serious threat to the security of our region and the world,” the release said. “Believing in the necessity to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries, Türkiye is against changing of borders by use of arms.”
However, to date, Turkey has not announced it is taking actions, such as implementing sanctions against Russia.
NATO: Russia’s Bears The Responsibility
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg started today’s meeting by emphasizing that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was premeditated.
“Moscow bears sole responsibility for the deliberate, cold blooded and long planned invasion. We condemn Russia’s aggressions in the strongest possible terms. And call on Russia to immediately cease its military action,” Stoltenberg said.
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