Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov underlined that Türkiye had the option to transfer its S-400 air defense systems to another country and that they would weigh any proposal.
Türkiye acquired the S-400 from Russia in 2019, after talks for air defense deals with Western countries fell through. The purchase triggered sanctions by its NATO ally, the United States, which removed Türkiye from its F-35 program the same year. Since then, Türkiye has tried to revive the F-35 deal, but it came close to success only after Donald Trump began his second term in the White House. During last July’s NATO summit in Ankara and talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump signaled that Türkiye may return to the fighter jet program, sparking a debate over the fate of the S-400 systems. Media outlets have reported that Türkiye was considering reselling the S-400 to a third country, reportedly the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Speaking on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Lavrov said he would not comment much on the matter but that there were several “possibilities.” He reiterated that Türkiye needed Russia’s approval for any resale.
“The country the systems will be transferred to should act responsibly and have friendly relations with the Russian Federation. Thus, we can ensure that those systems are not delivered somewhere else from there. This is of critical importance,” Lavrov was quoted as saying.
Russia’s top diplomat said Europeans purchased weapons from all across the world and signed agreements banning their resale, but they discovered that European countries eventually transferred those weapons to Ukraine. He said they needed assurance that such “violations” would not happen after the transfer of the S-400 systems.
