As reported by the Interfax news agency, Russia and Turkey are close to engaging in a new contract to supply Ankara with more S-400 air defence systems.
Turkey’s initial purchase of S-400s from Russia hurt ties with the United States and its NATO allies. Washington sanctioned Ankara and has warned to impose new sanctions if it buys more major arms systems from Moscow.
Turkey had initially acquired a missile defence system, known as the S-400, in July 2019. The purchase violated a sweeping sanctions law passed in summer 2017 by wide margins in the House and Senate to force Trump to be tougher on Russia. Trump, who wanted to avoid an embarrassing veto override, begrudgingly signed the law.
Today President Joe Biden is bound to maintaining sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America’s Adversaries through the Sanctions Act (CAATSA) to buy Russian S-400 missile defences and impose further sanctions if Ankara bought other major arms systems from Moscow, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday.
In congressional testimony, U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland also condemned Turkish Cypriot authorities declaration of a partial reopening of Varosha, an abandoned town, for possible resettlement, ratcheting up U.S. criticism.
