Turkey supports Ukraine's NATO bid, but urges “realism”

He stated this in an interview, the text of which is quoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Well, we wouldn't mind if they want to be a NATO member, but we have to be very much realistic, because we openly stated that we are in favor of Ukraine to be a NATO member. This was the statement from our President, so this is our official position," he said. 

He was asked whether Donald Trump’s new administration had changed the U.S. stance on Ukraine’s NATO membership.

"I am not sure if the previous administration was also in favor of Ukraine joining NATO. So, I think there is no new policy on this," he said.

According to Fidan, discussions are ongoing between Turkey, European partners, and Ukrainian officials about Ukraine’s NATO ambitions.

"Ukrainians are asking for NATO membership, just not because for the sake of being a NATO member. It's just to see a security guarantee for their own country. So, if they engage, let's say a ceasefire agreement or a peace agreement, some sort of security guarantee, this is what they think is necessary to engage such a thing. Because if the war re-emerges, so what will be the security guarantee for them? This is what they are seeking," he explained.

"I think now the security guarantee for not seeing the war re-emerging is one of the primary questions that we are discussing in the negotiations. So, the Ukrainians, one of the ways that they want to see is NATO membership, if not creating a big international coalition to deploy alongside the contact lines or the Russians might have different ideas for guarantee and security guarantees. Those are the issues that we are discussing with alternative scenarios," Fidan added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously supported Ukraine’s NATO membership. He later clarified that the U.S. and other NATO members don’t want Ukraine in the Alliance, and Turkey will take their position into account when making its own decision.