Turkey moves to re-export US weapons based on its territory to Ukraine

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey is preparing to re-export US-origin weapons stationed on its territory to Ukraine, part of a process tied to Washington's approval procedures and running through the Washington-Ankara-Kyiv triangle. The move comes as Turkey continues to balance its NATO membership with strategic channels it maintains with Russia across energy, trade, the Black Sea and Syria. In July 2026, Turkey hosted a NATO summit where allies committed 70 billion euros in additional equipment, military aid and training support to Ukraine for 2026, with long-term military backing set to continue into 2027. Turkey joined allied long-range precision-strike projects under the support package. The ATACMS missiles included in that framework are capable of striking command centers, logistics facilities and military infrastructure behind the front line because of their range. Transferring the missiles from Turkey's existing stock to Ukraine would, from Moscow's perspective, effectively incorporate military hardware hosted on Turkish soil into Ukraine's weapons systems. The re-export remains contingent on US approval and applicable procedures.