Kremlin: Russia is continuing to sell advanced S-400 missile defense systems to Turkey despite approval of a US deal for a rival system

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the S-400 deal is moving forward despite the US State Department’s approval to sell a rival Patriot System to Ankara.

The pentagon said Tuesday that the State Department had approved a possible $ 3.5 billion deal to sell Patriot’s air and missile defense systems to Turkey.

Russia and Turkey have signed a deal to sell the S-400 missile defense system and are expected to begin delivery next year despite warnings from the United States and NATO member states, already concerned about Russia’s presence in the Middle East, that the system is not in line with NATO defenses .

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov spoke in press conference that the deals should be seen as separate deals and that Moscow was already completing the terms of the deal to supply Turkey with the S-400.

Peskov said that Russia is working at this stage to implement the agreements that were signed with Turkish colleagues.

Adding “As you know, the Russian S-400 missile system project and its agreement are in the process of being implemented”, pointing out that there is no information about the Russian S-400 missile system, which will be delivered to Turkey, and said that Russia is legally committed to obligations to avoid the sharing of sensitive information on the subjects of military and technical cooperation with other countries.

“The two operations are not linked.

In this case, we will implement our agreements with our Turkish colleagues.

You know that the contract is being executed. This will continue”.

He added that Russia was confident that Ankara would not disclose the secrets of the S-400 system to its partners in NATO.

Asked if Moscow feared Ankara would exchange sensitive information on S-400 with the Americans, “there is no reason to be mistrustful of our Turkish colleagues”.

US and NATO officials have repeatedly warned Ankara that the Russian system cannot be integrated into NATO air and missile defense systems and that the purchase of the S-400 would threaten a Turkish deal to purchase Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets and could prompt Washington to impose sanctions on Ankara.

Last month, Ankara said the purchase of Russian missiles was a bargain and could not be canceled. She needs more defensive equipment that can be purchased from the United States.