Russia intends to supply an additional batch of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to Turkey. This was announced by Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov in an interview with the Greek TV channel Antenna (ANT1).
When asked if Russia was going to supply Turkey with another batch of S-400 SAMs, Peskov said, "We have a certain understanding with our Turkish partners, and we hope so. We hope so, yes."
A TV correspondent asked Peskov what is Russia's special interest in providing Turkey with S-400 SAMs despite US sanctions. "We all know that the US likes to play this sanctions game, although we have an understanding that they never achieve their goals. They have never succeeded in getting any country to change its mind. Our policy is that we are open to cooperation with different countries, especially our partners. This type of cooperation between Russia and Turkey should not be a threat to any country, especially Greece, because this system is not offensive, it is defensive, 100% defensive," he assured.
S-400 delivery to Turkey
Russia and Turkey signed a contract for Moscow to supply Ankara with S-400 SAMs in 2017. Turkey was the first NATO country to purchase these systems from Russia. Ankara's decision provoked a sharply negative reaction from the United States and the alliance as a whole. The United States has not stopped trying to get Turkey to give up its Russian SAMs. Due to the fact that Turkey is not yielding to pressure and does not get rid of S-400, Washington has previously excluded Ankara from the American program for the production of fifth-generation fighter-bombers F-35.
In addition, the US has long threatened Turkey with a number of unilateral sanctions, but was in no hurry to take these steps because it feared further aggravation of relations with a key NATO ally, and Ankara warned that it would not leave the application of such restrictions without response. Washington imposed such sanctions in December 2020.
In July 2021, Rosoboronexport General Director Alexander Mikheev told journalists at the MAKS-2021 air show that Rosoboronexport (part of Rostec State Corporation) would prepare a project to supply Turkey with an additional batch of S-400 air defense missile systems in the coming months. According to Mikheev, this project is expected to be completed in the coming months. He then noted that "final consultations are being held, a financial model has been formed, and a program of technological cooperation in this project has been formed.
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Photo: EPA / MAXIM SHIPENKOV / TASS
Based on materials from TASS