Braze to attend meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Turkey

RIGA - Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze (New Unity) will today participate in the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Antalya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed LETA.

The meeting is expected to focus on increasing the Alliance's defense spending, further support to Ukraine, and preparations for the NATO Summit to be held in The Hague, the Netherlands, on June 24 and 25.

Potential direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are also expected to take place in Turkey today, but it is unclear whether they will actually take place and at what level. World leaders had been expecting talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, but such a meeting looks unlikely.

Ukraine, with the support of its European allies, demands that Russia agree to a 30-day ceasefire. Putin responded by proposing direct talks in Turkey. Zelensky said he was ready to meet Putin in person in Turkey, but Putin did not respond to Zelensky's statement.