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I am sure you were glued to the screens during the Trump-Putin summit and Zelenskyy's visit to the White House. It was such a developing story that we didn’t get a chance to dig deeper into Türkiye's take on what’s happening across the ocean until this week.
Many unconfirmed reports suggest that Trump is urging Ukraine to cede significant landmass to Russia. On the European suggestion of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, Türkiye urges caution, calling such plans "premature”.
In Türkiye Today's exclusive reporting, sources note that if such an idea advances, it should include countries that have remained neutral during the course of the Ukraine-Russia war.
"If a ceasefire is reached in the future and a peace mission is established, it should consist primarily of neutral countries. We believe it's premature to make such assessments (about the nature of the peacekeeping force). It will be evaluated when the time comes," a Defense Ministry source told Türkiye Today.
Sources noted that the plan looks "unrealistic" given the dynamics of the war and the proposed makeup of the peacekeeping mission.
In an op-ed on Türkiye Today, Ukraine's Ambassador to Ankara Neriman Celal acknowledged that Türkiye wants a significant role in a proposed peacekeeping mission. He wrote, ''Türkiye plays a crucial role. Ankara hosted the first few attempts at dialogue in 2022 and once again in 2025. It co-initiated the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which saved millions of people worldwide from hunger. It closed the straits to Russian warships. It facilitated prisoner exchanges and secured the release of political detainees. And throughout, Türkiye has consistently supported Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Today, Türkiye is even considering, together with other partners, contributing to a peacekeeping mission on Ukrainian territory.''
Turkish sources talking to Türkiye Today argued that European involvement in such a "peace mission" may not be possible since Russia views Europe as a party to the conflict. This could complicate any European-led peacekeeping efforts.
Later, speaking during the weekly press briefing, Defense Ministry sources dismissed speculation that Türkiye might send peacekeepers to Ukraine, saying it is too early to evaluate plans that lack a concrete basis, confirming Türkiye Today’s earlier report.
European media reports that an operational plan has reportedly been drawn up for deployment, to be led by a Western general as part of security guarantees for Kyiv.
The force would be backed by allied air and naval units to ensure the protection of Ukrainian airspace. The 50,000-strong Western military presence would serve as a deterrent, effectively preventing Russia from continuing its invasion, according to a Finnish daily.
Türkiye has been a reliable partner during the course of the war, and excluding it from rushed and potentially botched plans would undermine the sacred mission of ending the war in a meaningful way.
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