The U.S. government has unofficially submitted to Turkey a proposal – which is by definition unlikely to be accepted – to send Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft systems it has bought to Ukraine to help it counter the Russian invasion, they said. three informed sources on the subject in the Reuters news agency.
U.S. officials dropped the idea on their Turkish counterparts last month, but did not go so far as to formally propose it, the sources said. The issue was also raised briefly when US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman visited Turkey this month.
Joe Biden’s government is urging allies with Russian-made weapons systems, such as the S-300 anti-aircraft system, to consider sending them to Kyiv to defend themselves against a Russian offensive that began on February 24.
The idea – analysts predict it will be overthrown by Ankara – was part of Ms. Sherman’s wider discussion with Turkish officials about providing assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces while improving bilateral relations. The market for S-400s has been causing turmoil in the bilateral relationship for years.
The Turkish government has not made any public reference to the proposal. There was no representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry available to comment.
Sources close to the Turkish government and analysts point out that Ankara would not even consider the idea, not only because of the technical barriers to the transport, installation and operation of S-400s in Ukraine, but also for political reasons, for the impact that such a move would have on Russian-Turkish relations.
Washington has repeatedly demanded that Ankara get rid of the S-400s, long before the first battery was delivered in July 2019. The US imposed sanctions on a Turkish military-industrial company and expelled Turkey from its 5th generation fighter. F-35 because of this market. Ankara, for its part, argues that it was forced to choose the S-400s because the United States did not offer the corresponding Patriot system on satisfactory terms.
US officials are seeking to seize the opportunity to bring Ankara back on track with Washington. Efforts to find “creative” ways to improve relations are accelerating recently, although so far no concrete proposals have been made.
Speaking to Turkish television network Habertürk on March 5, Ms. Sherman said: “I think everyone knows that the S-400 is a long-standing issue and that may be the time to find a way to resolve it.” he stated.
It was not clear what exactly he meant. The State Department did not respond when asked for comment. The White House did not respond when asked to comment on Ms. Sherman’s contacts and the US proposal.
Turkey, which shares a maritime border with both Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, maintains relations with both countries. He described the invasion as unacceptable, but at the same time avoided imposing sanctions on Moscow, while constantly offering to mediate.
Ankara is careful not to anger Moscow, analysts say, as Turkey buys energy and weapons from Russia and attracts many Russian tourists. At the same time, however, Ankara has sold UAVs to Kyiv and signed an agreement to produce and sell more, which angered the Kremlin. The two sides are also in rival camps in Syria and Libya, while Ankara opposes the annexation of the Crimean peninsula to Russia in 2014.
So far, “Turkey is able to walk on the razor’s edge”, but “the transfer of the S-400s (to Ukraine) would certainly cause huge outrage in Russia,” said Aaron Stein, director of research at the Foreign Policy Research Institute of USA. Moreover, for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “the S-400s have become a symbol of Turkish national sovereignty, so giving them away would not be so rosy,” he added.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
