Rubio and other top NATO diplomat meets possible Ukraine-Russia talks in Türkiye

Antalya: US Secretary Secretary Marco Rubio and his NATO counterparts meet in Turkey on Thursday, to create a summit of coalition leaders next month that will set courses for future European security as the US focuses on challenges elsewhere. The meeting in the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya is amidst a hurry of dialogue aimed at a conflict stop agreement between Russia and Ukraine, including talks in Istanbul that Rubio and President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witcoff has planned to participate on Friday. Rubio and Vitcooff are coming to Türkiye after coming with Trump in some parts of their journey to Gulf Arab countries. On the occasion of NATO’s meeting, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andree Sibiha met with Rubio on Wednesday, which is having separate conversations with the new German Foreign Minister Johan Wadeful and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, which the country is trying to help the broker who can end the old war more than three years old.

According to Turkish Foreign Ministry, Sibiha and Fidan on Wednesday discussed efforts to establish a ceasefire and achieve a permanent peace with Russia.

Negotiations in Türkiye on Ukraine

On the same day, when NATO’s foreign ministers gather, Ukrainian President Volodimir is ready to meet Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan at Ankara. This is an open question whether Trump or Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate on Thursday. Trump on Wednesday flying from Saudi Arabia to Qatar and teased a possible visit to Istanbul, but there was no indication that his travel plan would change. “He would like me, and it is a possibility,” Trump said referring to Putin. “I don’t know that if I am not there then he will be there. We are going to find out.” Zelancesi is insisting on direct interaction with Russia, but only if Putin participates in Putin. Putin, who has reprimanded the previous such calls, is cuckoo and is not committed to a meeting. Kremlin said on Wednesday that Putin’s colleague, Vladimir Medinski, would be the head of the Russian delegation, including Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomine, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and Igor Costukov, heads of the Chief Director of General Staff. Putin himself was not included in the list. Zelancesi is also eager to join NATO in Ukraine, which Russia has rejected and agrees with Trump. Therefore, with a Ukrainian appearance in Antalya, it was not possible that any decision will be taken about the future of Ukraine in the military alliance, or in its absence, there would be any decision.

Trump administration pushes NATO members to spend more on defense

The more and more concern for the US is the money, the Trump administration said that it wants to hear how European members of NATO and Canada have planned to increase their national defense investment to 5% of GDP. In 2023, Russia entered its second year as a full -scale war on Ukraine, NATO leaders agreed to spend at least 2% GDP on the National Defense Budget. So far, 22 of 32 member countries have done so. Leaders will set a new target at a summit in Hague on 25 June. Trump insisted that American allies should be committed to spending at least 5% to get ready to defend themselves, but it would require unprecedented scale investment. Trump has suspected whether the US will defend allies who spend very little. The US was estimated to spend 3.38% last year, showing NATO figures, the only collaborator whose expenditure has come down in the last decade. Asked last month, whether the US would match the 5% target, Rubio said, “Sure. We are going there now.” “Don’t make any mistake, it’s going to be separated,” the American messenger for NATO Mathew Whitekar said this week, “5% is not just a number, it is a need for our safety. The alliance is facing important threats.” He did not underline those dangers. NATO leaders stressed at their summit last year stating that “Russia remains the most important and direct threat to the safety of the Allies,” but some countries are uncomfortable about Trump’s revival with Putin. Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan, who is hosting the meeting, is expected to express Turkey’s commitment to strengthen NATO and call NATO colleagues to involve NATO’s commitment to express Turkey’s commitment, not members of the European Union – such as Turkey – In European Security and Defense Initiative, according to Turkish officials. Officials said fancies would advocate a wide, “360-degree security” approach not only when the Russian-Ukraine war ends the war, but also focusing on stability in the Middle East and also in areas adjacent to NATO members. Meanwhile, the plan at high defense spending, the defense spending scheme under consideration seems to target for all colleagues “Hard Military Expenditure by 2032” for 3.5% of GDP, and an additional “1.5% related expenses (on) infrastructure, cyber security and such things. While two figures add up to 5%, factoring in infrastructure and cyber security will change the base on which NATO traditionally calculates defense spending. Seven years time limit is also less than the general standards of the alliance. The US NATO ambassador, Whitekar, appeared this week to confirm the plan of this week, stating that “it also includes things like mobility, essential infrastructure, cyber security. It is definitely more than only missiles, tanks and digits.” It is difficult to see how many associates can reach 3.5% of GDP. The meeting in Türkiye can provide more clarity.