WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th February, 2022) The United States welcomes defense cooperation between Turkey and Ukraine, State Department spokesman Ned price said.
On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Kiev. The sides inked a deal that provides for significant expansion of production of Bayraktar drones in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. Ukraine uses Turkish-made Bayraktar unmanned attack vehicles in its military operation against the breakaway Russian-speaking region of Donbas.
"We know that President Erdogan is visiting Kiev and that defense cooperation between the NATO ally, Turkey, and Ukraine ... we think that it bolsters regional stability and Ukraine's ability to defend itself," Price told a briefing on Thursday.
The US broadly encourages partners and allies to provide security assistance to Ukraine to "resist further Russian aggression and deter a potential Russian invasion," he said.
"At the same time we strongly advocate for the appropriate use of defense equipment in accordance with the laws of armed conflict and in a manner that avoids civilian harm," Price added.
Tensions over Ukraine escalated in recent months as the West accused Russia of preparing an invasion, citing a troop buildup near the common border. Moscow says it has no intention of attacking anyone, pointing to NATO's military activities in Eastern Europe as a threat to national security.
