Speaking to news agency Defense News, director for international cooperation and regional policy at Russia’s Rostec defense and technology company Viktor Kladov said that the process of delivering Russia’s S-400 missile defense systems to Turkey goes very smoothly.
“This is a system that the Turkish government wants, and we want to give it. And so far it is going very smoothly,” according to a Defense News interview.
“We are cooperating with partners and potential partners, regardless of who likes it and who doesn’t like it,” he added. “It’s business. It’s just business ties,” he added.
“A Russian journalist asked me: ‘If the Americans don’t give the F-35 to Turkey, does it mean you will provide the Su-35?’ And I said: ‘No, it doesn’t work that way.’ In the first place, it will be decided by the Turkish,” Kladov said.
According to media reports in recent weeks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country is determined to go through with a deal to purchase S-400 missile-defense systems from Russia, despite opposition from Washington.
The U.S. State Department on March 5 again warned Turkey about going ahead with the purchase of the Russian air-defense system, adding that Washington might reconsider giving Ankara access to the advanced F-35 fighter jet program if it buys the Russian S-400 system
The United States has long said the S-400 is incompatible with NATO-based weapon systems and is part of Russian efforts to disrupt the alliance.