Turkey is still ready to deploy peace force in Ukraine

While Ankara may commit itself to sending troops as part of security guarantees, Russia's approval is more important than European plans

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at the Oval Office of the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, 18 August 2025 (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at the Oval Office of the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, 18 August 2025 (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

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Turkey remains open to providing security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a comprehensive peace agreement with Russia, including the deployment of a peacekeeping force, sources familiar with Ankara’s position told Middle East Eye.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House, declaring that a deal was “within reach” following his separate talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska over the weekend.

Trump said Washington would support Ukraine’s security, but ruled out committing US combat troops.

“When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help,” he told reporters, adding that European countries would take the lead. “They are the first line of defence because they are there, but we’ll help them out.”

Trump indicated that Putin and Zelenskyy would first meet for direct talks, to be followed by a trilateral meeting in which he would also participate.

The Kremlin, however, has so far downplayed the proposal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this week that any meeting would have to be prepared “gradually… starting with the expert level and thereafter going through all the required steps”, reiterating a standard Kremlin line.

A Turkish source familiar with Ankara’s thinking said Turkey supports Trump’s initiative, noting that Turkish officials have for years sought to broker direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy.

The source added that Ankara remains open to deploying peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as part of a final settlement, if it is directly involved in planning such a force, though Moscow’s approval would be essential.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz echoed that sentiment last week, saying Ankara was ready to support any peace mission in Ukraine during a “Coalition of the Willing” summit he joined via videoconference.

“As Turkey, we will continue to fully support diplomatic efforts for a just and lasting peace,” Yilmaz said during another coalition meeting on Monday.

Meanwhile, Finland’s Iltalehti newspaper reported that European countries are preparing to send 50,000 ground troops to Ukraine. “The operational plan is ready. The intention is to deploy an entire army corps in Ukraine, led by a western general,” the paper said.

Potential naval mission

A separate source told MEE that while no party has formally discussed how security guarantees for Ukraine would be implemented, Ankara shifted its position earlier this year after Moscow insisted it would not allow Nato troops on Ukrainian soil under any agreement.

Instead, Turkey has focused on leading a potential naval mission in the Black Sea, acting as a deterrent, demining waters and helping Ukraine rebuild its navy.

Another Ankara insider suggested Russia might accept the deployment of Turkish forces in Ukraine under a non‑Nato framework.

Turkey and Russia already have experience working together: they jointly monitored the Armenia–Azerbaijan ceasefire in 2020 through a mission in Azerbaijan’s Agdam until 2024, and conducted joint patrols in Syria for several years as confidence‑building measures.

Turkey open to act as security guarantor in Ukraine peace agreement

Turkey did not attend the White House summit, which was largely viewed as a show of European support for Ukraine against Russia.

On Wednesday, Turkiye Today reported that Ankara urged caution against “premature” European plans to deploy peacekeeping forces in Ukraine as part of US‑led negotiations, citing official sources.

“Turkish officials state that if a plan to involve European forces in a peacekeeping mission for Ukraine comes onto the agenda, such a mission should include countries that have remained neutral during the course of the Ukraine–Russia war,” the outlet reported.

Yahya Bostan, a columnist for Turkish conservative newspaper Yeni Safak, noted that Ankara’s position differs from that of many European allies.

“Turkey’s Ukraine policy resembles none of theirs,” he said. “Turkey wants strong relations with Russia, while also contributing to Ukraine’s security guarantees, Black Sea security, international drone coalitions and Europe’s broader security architecture.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently sought to persuade both Russian and Ukrainian leaders to hold a summit in Istanbul. Ankara has already hosted three rounds of technical talks between the two sides, which led to the release of hundreds of prisoners of war.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has also been active, holding a series of calls last week with his Russian, Ukrainian, American, British and French counterparts.

According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan consistently emphasised that Turkey is ready to play a constructive role in achieving a durable peace.

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