Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused NATO and the European Union of failing to take a “determined stance” on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

“NATO should have taken a more decisive step,” Erdogan, whose country is a member of the military alliance, told reporters. 

“The EU and other pro-Western (bodies) have failed to take a serious and determined stance at the moment. They are all providing Ukraine with plenty of advice.” 

Turkey has friendly ties with Russia and Ukraine and positioned itself as a neutral mediator for a resolution to the crisis. 

Erdogan’s comments come as NATO is due to hold a virtual summit Friday where additional steps were being planned to be taken. 

A diplomat told AFP that “extra defensive land and air forces are going to be deployed to the alliance’s eastern flank, and there will be added naval measures”.

Erdogan warned that the summit should “not turn into a mere array of advice and condemnation”. 

“I hope that today’s NATO summit demonstrates a more determined approach,” he said. 

© Agence France-Presse