Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his support for Ukraine’s NATO membership during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Istanbul, AP News reports.
The statement comes ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, where NATO leaders are expected to reaffirm Ukraine’s future membership.
Turkey’s support for Ukraine comes amid its hesitation to approve Sweden’s NATO membership due to security concerns.
Erdogan also discussed extending the grain deal brokered by Turkey and the UN, which allows the shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would visit Turkey in August, providing an opportunity to discuss the renewal of the grain deal.
