President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that Ukraine considers Türkiye as one of its strategic partners, including security guarantees. He added that Kyiv was ready to sign a free trade agreement with Ankara.
Zelenskyy said on his X account on Thursday, "It is important that Turkish companies are already present in Ukraine. Our country appreciates this and also appreciates Türkiye's support and assistance, especially the delivery of Bayraktar UAVs," he posted.
A meeting took place in Kyiv with Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and Agriculture Minister İbrahim Yumaklı, who represented the Turkish government. According to Reuters, they discussed collaboration, including drone production and the participation of Turkish companies in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
In 2022, after Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine, NATO member Türkiye has managed to uphold balanced relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, providing military support to Ukraine and advocating for its territorial integrity, while opting not to engage in sanctions against Russia. A recent assessment by the French newspaper "Le Monde" indicates that Türkiye is regarded as "one of the few regional powers that can both cooperate with Russia and limit its influence".
As reported by Reuters, Türkiye has emerged as a "key potential security partner" as Europe aims to strengthen its defences and obtain security assurances for Kyiv in light of a possible ceasefire agreement.