Russian and Turkish foreign ministers discuss Ukraine in Türkiye's Antalya
Source: Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, citing a Turkish diplomatic source, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Fidan and Lavrov also discussed energy cooperation and bilateral relations during a meeting on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in southern Türkiye, the source said.
They also discussed current events in Syria and the situation in Gaza.
Ankara has consistently defended Ukraine's territorial integrity since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. However, it also maintains good ties with Russia and remains the only NATO member that has not joined sanctions against Moscow.
Türkiye supports a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine-Russia war. Ankara has repeatedly proposed itself as a venue for peace talks.
The three-day forum, which began on Friday in the southern Turkish city of Antalya, is devoted to the theme of Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World.
Background:
Fidan recently stated that Türkiye is ready to join any new European security architecture if NATO collapses.
Before that, the Turkish Ministry of Defence noted that the country was ready to deploy troops to Ukraine "if necessary" to ensure peace.
Earlier, media reports suggested that Ankara, in discussions with representatives from both Ukraine and Russia, expressed its willingness to consider deploying its military on Ukrainian soil as part of a peacekeeping force.
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NBC News
6 minutes ago
- NBC News
A Ukrainian startup develops long-range drones and missiles to take the battle to Russia
When a Ukrainian-made drone attacked an ammunition depot in Russia last September, it showcased Kyiv's determination to strike deep behind enemy lines and the prowess of its defense industry. The moment was especially gratifying for the woman in charge of manufacturing the drones that flew more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to carry out this mission. For months after, Russia no longer had the means to keep up devastating glide bomb attacks like the one that had just targeted her native city of Kharkiv. 'Fighting in the air is our only real asymmetric advantage on the battlefield at the moment. We don't have as much manpower or money as they have,' said Iryna Terekh, head of production at Fire Point. Terekh spoke as she surveyed dozens of 'deep-strike drones' that had recently come off the assembly line and would soon be used by Ukrainian forces to attack arms depots, oil refineries and other targets vital to the Kremlin's war machine and economy. Spurred by its existential fight against Russia — and limited military assistance from Western allies — Ukraine has fast become a global center for defense innovation. The goal is to match, if not outmuscle, Russia's capabilities, which were on brutal display Thursday — and Fire Point is one of the companies leading the way. The Associated Press was granted an exclusive look inside one of Fire Point's dozens of covert factories. In a sprawling warehouse where rock music blared, executives showed off their signature FP-1 exploding drones that can travel up to 1,600 kilometers (994 miles). They also touted publicly for the first time a cruise missile they are developing that is capable of traveling 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), and which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes will be mass-produced by the end of the year. Even as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for an end to the 3 1/2-year war — and dangles the prospect of U.S. support for NATO-like security guarantees — Ukrainian defense officials say their country is determined to become more self-sufficient in deterring Russia. 'We believe our best guarantee is not relying on somebody's will to protect us, but rather our ability to protect ourselves,' said Arsen Zhumadilov, the head of the country's arms procurement agency. Ukraine's government is now purchasing about $10 billion of weapons annually from domestic manufacturers. The industry has the capacity to sell triple that amount, officials say, and they believe sales to European allies could help it reach such potential in a matter of years. Drone innovation grew out of necessity Like most defense companies in Ukraine, Fire Point grew out of necessity after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Despite pleas from Ukrainian military officials, Western countries were unwilling to allow Kyiv to use their allies' longer-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. That's when a group of close friends, experts from various fields, set out to mass-produce inexpensive drones that could match the potency of Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia was firing into Ukraine with devastating consequences. The company's founders spoke with AP on the condition of anonymity out of concern for their safety and the security of their factories. By pooling together knowledge from construction, game design and architecture, the company's founders — who had no background in defense — came up with novel designs for drones that could fly further and strike with greater precision than most products already on the market. Their long-range drones had another benefit: they did not need to take off from an air field. When Terekh — an architect — was hired in the summer of 2023, she was given a goal of producing 30 drones per month. Now the company makes roughly 100 per day, at a cost of $55,000 apiece. The FP-1 looks more like a hastily made science project than something that would roll off the production lines of the world's biggest defense contractors. 'We removed unneeded, flashy glittery stuff,' she said. But the FP-1 has been extremely effective on the battlefield. With a payload of explosives weighing 60 kilograms (132 pounds), it is responsible for 60% of strikes deep inside Russian territory, including hits on oil refineries and weapons depots, according to Terekh. These strikes have helped to slow Russia's advance along the 1,000 kilometer-long (620 mile-long) front line in eastern Ukraine, where army units have reported a sharp decline in artillery fire. 'I think the best drones, or among the best, are Ukrainian drones,' said Claude Chenuil, a former French military official who now works for a trade group that focuses on defense. 'When the war in Ukraine ends, they will flood the market.' Ukraine is becoming the 'Silicon Valley' of defense Fire Point's story is not entirely unique. Soon after Russia's 2022 invasion, hundreds of defense companies sprouted almost overnight. The Ukrainian government incentivized innovation by relaxing regulations and making it easier for startups to work directly with military brigades. Patriotic entrepreneurs in metallurgy, construction and information technology built facilities for researching and making weapons and munitions, with an emphasis on drones. The ongoing war allowed them to test out ideas almost immediately on the battlefield, and to quickly adapt to Russia's changing tactics. 'Ukraine is in this very unique moment now where it is becoming, de facto, the Silicon Valley of defense,' said Ukrainian defense entrepreneur Yaroslav Azhnyuk. 'The biggest strategic asset that we have is that we have been at war with Russia for 11 years.' A case in point: Fire Point had initially sourced navigational equipment for its drones from a major Western firm, but before long Russia was able to disrupt their effectiveness using electronic warfare; so Fire Point developed its own software to outwit the enemy. Because defense companies are high-value targets for Russia, many operate underground or hidden within civilian centers to evade detection. Although they are guarded by air defenses, the strategy has the disadvantage of putting civilians at risk. Many Ukrainians have died in imprecise Russian attacks that were likely targeting weapons facilities. Entrepreneurs said the alternative is to operate openly and face attacks that would set back the war effort. Supplies of drones don't last long On the day AP reporters visited the Fire Point factory, there were dozens of drones awaiting delivery. They would all be gone within 72 hours, shipped to the battlefield in inconspicuous cargo trucks. The Fire Point team receives regular feedback from army units, and the company has reinvested most profits toward innovating quickly to keep pace with other drone makers. Increasingly, those profits are being directed to develop a new, more potent weapon. The company completed testing this year for its first cruise missile, the FP-5. Capable of traveling 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) and landing within 14 meters (45 feet) of its target, the FP-5 is one of the largest such missile in the world, delivering a payload of 1,150 kilograms (2,535 pounds), independent experts said. Because initial versions of the missile came out pink after a factory error, they called it the Flamingo — and the name has stuck. Fire Point is producing roughly one Flamingo per day, and by October they hope to build capacity to make seven per day, Terekh said. Even as Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials pursue ways to end the war, Terekh said she is skeptical that Russia will accept terms for a real peace. 'We are preparing for a bigger, much scarier war.'
CNN
8 minutes ago
- CNN
Rubio doubles down on Trump pledge to back Ukraine security guarantees but says Europe must lead
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told European counterparts Thursday the US will participate in post-war security guarantees for Ukraine but that the Trump administration believes Europe should take the lead, according to a European diplomat familiar with the call. During a call with European national security advisers, Rubio, who is also President Donald Trump's acting national security adviser, did not provide details on specific security guarantees to which the US might commit, the diplomat said. But the call, which an administration official confirmed had occurred, adds momentum at a critical time when Europe is eager for continued engagement from the Trump administration, the diplomat said. As Trump has pushed for Ukraine and Russia to reach a peace agreement, negotiations among allies over how to ensure Moscow won't attack again in the future have accelerated. The US has indicated it is open to playing a limited role in providing security guarantees to Ukraine if a peace deal is reached with Russia, which could potentially see US pilots flying manned air support missions, sources familiar with discussions with allies this week told CNN. Trump has ruled out deploying US troops on the ground, but the US and its allies are combing through a range of other options, the sources said. The Europeans have told US officials that one role they'd like to see the US play is continuing to provide military intelligence and surveillance, said the European diplomat familiar with Rubio's call on Thursday. The official added that the issue was raised to Trump directly on Monday, when several European leaders visited the White House, and the president appeared receptive but did not make an explicit commitment. Thursday's call included national security advisers from NATO, the European Union, France, the UK, Finland, Italy and Germany, they said. A meeting took place on Wednesday between US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, commander of US European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, and defense chiefs from key European nations. A broader NATO defense chiefs meeting was also held Wednesday, led by Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. The military meetings followed discussions at the White House on Monday between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several other key European allies. During the meetings, Trump said the US would be involved in Ukraine's security — but made clear that Europe would be the 'first line of defense.' An official familiar with Wednesday's meetings said the declaration of US involvement 'changed everything' for the planning around Ukraine's security guarantees. Military planners from the 'Coalition of the Willing' — a key group of Ukrainian allies — had already been discussing security for Ukraine, but those discussions 'had only been able to get so far, because a big unknown to them was, what was the US position?' the official said. Still, the official said allies 'recognize certainly that despite the US' involvement, which they acknowledge is still yet to be determined in concrete terms, they have an inherent responsibility for the security of Europe.' The meetings on Wednesday came in the wake of multiple significant developments in the war between Ukraine and Russia, after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week and then hosted Zelensky and several other key European leaders at the White House on Monday. The topic of security guarantees for Ukraine was at the center of the meetings on Monday, as Trump said the details would be further worked out with European leaders. Sitting next to Zelensky in the Oval Office, Trump said while Europe would be the first line of defense for Ukraine, 'We're going to help them out also. We'll be involved.' And while he initially left the door open on putting US boots on the ground in Ukraine, he ruled it out the following day during a phone interview with Fox News but suggested the US might consider providing air support. Thus far, that has been the only thing definitively ruled out, the official familiar with Wednesday's meetings told CNN. The options discussed among military leaders and planners this week ranged from US air support — unmanned and manned aircraft — to what countries are willing to put boots on the ground in Ukraine, what NATO bases would be used, and more. A second source briefed on the meeting also said possible air support has been a primary topic, and that while there is some consternation within the Trump administration about committing US pilots to flying manned air support missions over Ukraine, there is more openness to flying unmanned air support missions. US pilots could also be called upon to conduct surveillance flights over Ukraine, providing high-resolution imagery of the front line and troop movements, as part of what would be considered an intermediate option that stops short of committing American fighter jets to fly policing missions, two of the sources familiar with ongoing discussions about security guarantees said. Ben Jensen, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNN that even unmanned aircraft missions would be a significant step because it could 'keep the question of doubt in Russia's mind about how much the US will commit.' But unmanned drones are too slow to conduct what are known as 'scramble' missions, a third source familiar with the discussions noted, meaning it would likely fall to other nations to provide additional air assets if that is as far as the US is willing to go. The official familiar with the Wednesday meetings told CNN that some have incorrectly assumed that Trump's comments saying the US would not put boots on the ground in Ukraine also definitively mean there won't be US pilots flying overhead. 'And what I would say is, well, the president didn't say that,' they said. Zelensky said Wednesday that Kyiv expects to have an understanding within the next two weeks of exactly what kind of security guarantees allies are prepared to provide in the event of a peace deal. Thirty countries have pledged willingness to provide security guarantees, he said, but not all of those commitments will be military aid. Some countries have committed to just financial support or imposing economic sanctions on Moscow in the event of another Russian attack, Zelensky said. 'We do not know how many countries are ready for 'boots on the ground,'' Zelensky told journalists at a briefing. 'Some may contribute boots on the ground. Some are ready to provide air defense. Some will cover the skies or conduct aerial patrols for a certain period, using the appropriate aircraft in the required numbers.' Zelensky said that Trump saying the US would participate in security guarantees reassured other countries who had previously been on the fence. He pointed to Turkey as a country that's now on board to help with security on the Black Sea. 'Without the coordination of security guarantees for Ukraine by the United States of America, there was some uncertainty among our European colleagues,' Zelensky said. Some allies have already messaged what they intend to provide. The UK, France and Germany said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they are prepared to plan an active role, including deploying a 'reassurance force' once fighting has stopped. UK Defense Secretary John Healey said again Wednesday that the UK is ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine. But while US officials have claimed that their Russian counterparts signaled their willingness to accept security guarantees for Ukraine during Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska last week, Moscow has since publicly dismissed any security guarantees that Russia wouldn't also have a veto over – a condition that would be unacceptable to Kyiv. 'Moscow won't agree with collective security guarantees negotiated without Russia,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday, adding that Moscow would also want ally China to be part of the security agreement. 'I am confident that in the West — first and foremost in the United States — they perfectly understand that discussing the issue of security without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere,' Lavrov added.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
It's been a confusing week - and Trump's been made to look weak
It's been a confusing week. The Monday gathering of European leaders and Ukraine's president with Donald Trump at the White House was highly significant. Ukraine latest: Trump changes tack The leaders went home buoyed in the knowledge that they'd finally convinced the American president not to abandon Europe. He had committed to provide American "security guarantees" to Ukraine. The details were sketchy, and sketched out only a little more through the week (we got some noise about American air cover), but regardless, the presidential commitment represented a clear shift from months of isolationist rhetoric on Ukraine - "it's Europe's problem" and all the rest of it. Yet it was always the case that, beyond that clear achievement for the Europeans, would have a problem with it. Trump's envoy's language last weekend - claiming that had agreed to Europe providing "Article 5-like" guarantees for Ukraine, essentially providing it with a NATO-like collective security blanket - was baffling. Russia gives two fingers to the president And throughout this week, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has repeatedly and predictably undermined the whole thing, pointing out that Russia would never accept any peace plan that involved any European or NATO troops in Ukraine. "The presence of foreign troops in Ukraine is completely unacceptable for Russia," he said yesterday, echoing similar statements stretching back years. Remember that NATO's "eastern encroachment" was the justification for Russia's "special military operation" - the invasion of Ukraine - in the first place. All this makes Trump look rather weak. It's two fingers to the president, though interestingly, the Russian language has been carefully calibrated not to poke Trump but to mock European leaders instead. That's telling. Read more on Ukraine: The bilateral meeting hailed by Trump on Monday as agreed and close - "within two weeks" - looks decidedly doubtful. Maybe that's why he went along with Putin's suggestion that there be a bilateral, not including Trump, first. It's easier for the American president to blame someone else if it's not his meeting, and it doesn't happen. NATO defence chiefs met on Wednesday to discuss the details of how the security guarantees - the ones Russia won't accept - will work. European sources at the meeting have told me it was all a great success. And to the comments by Lavrov, a source said: "It's not up to Lavrov to decide on security guarantees. Not up to the one doing the threatening to decide how to deter that threat!" The argument goes that it's not realistic for Russia to say from which countries Ukraine can and cannot host troops. Would Trump threaten force? The problem is that if Europe and the White House want Russia to sign up to some sort of peace deal, then it would require agreement from all sides on the security arrangements. The other way to get Russia to heel would be with an overwhelming threat of force. Something from Trump, like: "Vladimir - look what I did to Iran...". But, of course, isn't a nuclear power. Something else bothers me about all this. The core concept of a "security guarantee" is an ironclad obligation to defend Ukraine into the future. Future guarantees would require treaties, not just a loose promise. I don't see Trump's America truly signing up to anything that obliges them to do anything. A layered security guarantee which builds over time is an option, but from a Kremlin perspective, would probably only end up being a repeat of history and allow them another "justification" to push back. Read more from Sky News: Image and reality don't seem to match Among Trump's stream of social media posts this week was an image of him waving his finger at Putin in Alaska. It was one of the few non-effusive images from the summit. He posted it next to an image of former president Richard Nixon confronting Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev - an image that came to reflect American dominance over the Soviet Union. That may be the image Trump wants to portray. But the events of the past week suggest image and reality just don't match. The past 24 hours in Ukraine have been among the most violent to date.
