US sanctions signal to Turkey over Russian S-400 deal US State Department's spokesperson signalled sanctions may be triggered if S-400 deal goes ahead

US sanctions signal to Turkey over Russian S-400 deal
US State Department's spokesperson signalled sanctions may be triggered if S-400 deal goes ahead.

S State Department’s spokesperson Heather Nauert said during briefing that Washington was against a possible purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems by its allies around the world.

Nauert said: "It goes against our policy to have a NATO ally such as Turkey use an S-400 system. Part of the problem with that, it is – that it is not interoperable with other NATO systems. And so we are against the – having some of our partners and allies around the world potentially purchase S-400s".

Russia and Turkey signed a loan agreement on the sale of the S-400s to Ankara in 2019.

Nauert said that "we have made very clear what could trigger sanctions for other countries and entities around the world".

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli then responded to Washington’s threats by warning US against preventing the new F-35 jets from being shipped in accordance with their contract unless it abandons its agreement with Russia on the S-400 delivery, calling Washington’s threats a “blackmail.”

anf