Remarkable statement from Zelensky: Turkey wants to be part of maritime security guarantees for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who is visiting Ukraine.

The two leaders held a joint press conference following their meeting. Zelenskyy thanked Rutte for his visit ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day and stated that they discussed steps that could provide greater security for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy emphasized that they focused on the security guarantees to be provided to Ukraine during the meeting, noting that the U.S. announcement of its readiness to be part of the security guarantees for Ukraine is of great importance to them.

"OUR GOAL IS GUARANTEES SIMILAR TO NATO'S ARTICLE 5"

Zelenskyy stated, "Our general goal, which we define in dialogue with our partners as 'Article 5-like guarantees,' are guarantees similar to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. These are truly effective security guarantees. This is the result we must achieve."

Zelenskyy emphasized that the second topic of the meeting was arms supply. The Ukrainian leader expressed that the "Priority Ukrainian Requirements List" (PURL) program, aimed at supplying U.S.-origin weapons to Ukraine with funding provided by Europe, is efficient, and he extended his thanks to Rutte for this initiative.

"THE RUSSIANS ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO PREVENT THE MEETING"

Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to prevent a bilateral meeting between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, "The issue of ending the war must be resolved at the leadership level, but we currently see that the Russians are doing everything to prevent the meeting. Unlike Russia, Ukraine is not afraid of any meeting between leaders."

Arguing that Russia must be forced into diplomacy, Zelenskyy said, "If Russia does not agree to resolve this war through diplomatic means and does not want to end the war, then truly strong sanctions must be implemented. We have great confidence in the strong sanctions packages of our partners."

Zelenskyy added, "Everything must be done to ensure Russia does not continue to avoid these meetings. We are receiving strong signals from the US, and they are ready to move forward. Europe and other countries are also ready to help within the framework of the Coalition of Volunteers, and we are grateful for this."

"TURKEY WANTS TO BE PART OF MARITIME SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE"

In response to a question regarding security guarantees and the deployment of military forces to Ukraine, the Ukrainian leader said, "I do not know how many countries can provide us with guarantees, but there are many countries with various levels of assistance options and different capabilities. Therefore, it is too early to say who can have troops on the ground, who will be present at sea with reconnaissance and intelligence, and who will provide funding. Some countries, due to their constitutional restrictions, will not be able to be present here in one way or another, but they are ready to provide funding."

Zelenskyy also referred to the Russia-Ukraine meeting held in Istanbul on July 23, stating, "For example, Turkey said at the last meeting, 'We want to be part of the maritime security guarantees for Ukraine. We are professional in this regard; we know how to help in the Black Sea. We will focus specifically on this issue. Our presence there will be at the highest level.' Therefore, it is a bit early to talk about all countries. Once the infrastructure is established and put in writing, we will understand who can help and how."

"RUSSIA DOES NOT WANT THE WAR TO END AND WILL NOT WANT IT"

When asked about the recent pessimism among Ukrainians regarding the talks and his own perspective, the Ukrainian President said, "Russia does not want the war to end at this point; it has not wanted it, and it will not want it. They want to issue ultimatums and use these ultimatums to prolong the process and keep the war going as long as possible. They are doing everything they can to prevent US President Donald Trump from imposing sanctions on them and to escape the pressure that the US possesses."

"THE LARGEST COUNTRIES ARE ON UKRAINE'S SIDE"

Emphasizing that his meeting with Trump in Washington, D.C., last Monday demonstrated European unity, Zelenskyy said, "The largest countries, or among the largest, gathered around Ukraine in a single day; leaders arrived. This is tremendous support for Ukraine and a sign that the world's major nations are united. Because they are all on the side of Ukraine, that is, on the side of justice."

"VERY IMPORTANT SIGNALS CAME FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP"

Stating that the U.S. announcement to join the security guarantees is also a success, Zelenskyy said, "I don't know where the situation will lead, but it is in a much better state than it was 1 or 2 weeks ago. Such unity was achieved in Washington. For now, this is a political unity, and the first steps are being taken. Our teams are working on security guarantees, but very important signals came from the U.S. and the President (Trump). The Russians are trying to do things to prevent this meeting from taking place. This is not just a matter of a meeting; they do not want the war to end. The meeting is not everything; it is just one of the components on the path to ending the war. Since they do not want this to happen, they will look for room to maneuver. We, however, must narrow this space with the unity of America and Europe."

"STRONG SECURITY GUARANTEES WILL BE VITAL"

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that NATO continues to stand by Ukraine. Noting that $1.5 billion in vital air defense, ammunition, and equipment has been provided to Ukraine in less than a month under the PURL program, Rutte said, "We are together because we share common values: freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. We are together because we have a common goal of protecting Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. Our security is interconnected."

Recalling that they met with U.S. President Donald Trump and many European leaders in Washington to end the war in Ukraine and establish security, Rutte said, "President Trump has made this issue a priority. He has clearly demonstrated not only that he will break the deadlock with Putin but also that the U.S. will provide security guarantees to Ukraine. Strong security guarantees will be vital, and we are currently working to define them."

"SECURITY GUARANTEES ARE TWO-LAYERED"

When asked how to ensure the functionality of the security guarantees, Rutte said, "It is extremely important that Ukraine, the U.S., and Europe are working together. When we talk about security guarantees, we must agree that they are two-layered. The first layer will come after a peace agreement or a long-term ceasefire, or a combination of both. This first layer must ensure that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are strong enough to defend this country in the future." Stating that the second layer consists of security guarantees to be provided by Europe and the U.S., Rutte added, "This is what we are working on right now. As we all know, the Budapest Memorandum and Minsk did not provide such security guarantees. Therefore, we clearly know what should not be done. As Ukraine, Europeans, and the U.S., we are working together to ensure that the security guarantees are at a level where Vladimir Putin will never attempt to attack Ukraine again."

The third and final round of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine was held on July 23 at the Çırağan Palace in Istanbul, hosted by Turkey. While the meeting between the parties lasted approximately one hour, the two countries reached an agreement on the exchange of military and civilian prisoners.