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Turkey seeks to offload S‑400 air‑defence systems to Gulf state amid F‑35 talks
Turkey is in talks with Russia to obtain permission to transfer its Russian‑made S‑400 air‑defence systems to a third country, widely reported as a Gulf state such as the United Arab Emirates. The move is intended to remove the S‑400 obstacle that has kept Ankara out of the U.S. F‑35 fighter‑jet programme under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that “the issue is extremely sensitive” and that Moscow has been in contact with the Turkish side and will continue those contacts, but he did not confirm any agreement. Turkish officials and the newspaper Hurriyet say Ankara is looking for a legal formula to divest the missiles, hoping the sale will satisfy U.S. demands and allow sanctions to be lifted.
U.S. officials are reviewing whether the sanctions can be eased and whether an initial delivery of six F‑35 aircraft could be approved, subject to Congressional approval. The negotiations involve Turkey, Russia and the United States and are being discussed in the backdrop of the recent NATO summit, where both presidents signalled willingness to resolve the dispute.