At a Glance

• The Kremlin says work and contacts are underway to relocate Turkey’s Russian-made S-400 air-defense systems to another country.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is prepared to approve a transfer to a friendly country if requested.
• Turkey’s acquisition of the S-400s led to its removal from the US F-35 fighter program and US sanctions under CAATSA.
• Ankara has sought a resolution to the F-35 dispute, while US President Donald Trump has indicated he is considering Turkey’s return to the program.

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The Kremlin said Wednesday that work is underway on relocating Turkey’s Russian-made S-400 air-defense systems to another country, potentially addressing a longstanding obstacle to Ankara’s return to the US F-35 fighter program.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the issue is “on the agenda” and that relevant contacts are taking place.

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Key Statements

“The issue is on the agenda, relevant work is being conducted and relevant contacts are taking place.”

— Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov

“We will be ready to transfer the S-400s to such a country when there is a request.”

— Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, referring to a friendly country

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The S-400 issue has been at the center of a major dispute between Turkey and the United States since Ankara agreed to purchase the Russian system in 2017.

Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 program after the S-400 acquisition, citing concerns over the compatibility of the Russian system with NATO defenses and the security of F-35 technology. The United States also imposed sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA.

Russia's latest comments indicate that relocating the systems to a third country is being considered, but there is no indication in the latest statements that a transfer has been completed or that a specific destination has been publicly confirmed. Lavrov said such a transfer would require a responsible country that maintains friendly relations with Russia.

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Turkey purchased four S-400 air-defense system battalions from Russia for about $2.5 billion, with deliveries beginning in 2019. The purchase triggered a serious deterioration in defense relations between Ankara and Washington and ultimately resulted in Turkey's removal from the F-35 program.

The dispute has remained unresolved despite repeated efforts by Ankara to regain access to the US-led F-35 program.

At a NATO summit in Ankara in July, US President Donald Trump said he was considering allowing Turkey to return to the program, reopening the possibility of a negotiated solution to the dispute. (Twz)

Russia's latest position could provide a potential mechanism for addressing one of Washington's central objections: Turkey would no longer retain the Russian-made S-400 systems on its territory.

However, the latest Kremlin statements establish only that discussions and contacts are underway. They do not confirm a final transfer agreement, identify a recipient country, or establish that Turkey will automatically regain F-35 access.

FYI

The S-400 dispute has broader implications for Turkey's position within NATO and its defense relationship with Washington. Ankara's return to the F-35 program would require the resolution of the sanctions and security concerns that followed its purchase of the Russian system; the relocation of the S-400s could address a central part of that dispute, but any final outcome would depend on decisions by both Turkey and the United States.

For Moscow, agreeing to a transfer to a friendly third country would preserve its role in determining the system's destination, while for Ankara, resolving the S-400 issue could reopen access to a US fighter program from which it was excluded in 2019.

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