For the first time, the Kremlin confirmed that it is holding talks with Turkey about the future of the S-400 air defence systems, an admission that reinforces reports of a possible transfer of the Russian batteries to remove the main obstacle preventing Ankara’s return to the US F-35 program. The statement represents the strongest indication yet that negotiations between Turkey, Russia, and the United States are advancing in parallel in search of a solution to one of NATO’s biggest crises in recent years.
The confirmation came from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who described the issue as “extremely sensitive,” declined to reveal details about the content of the talks, and stated that Moscow would continue to maintain contact with Ankara regarding the future of the systems. More than a routine statement, his words constitute the first official Russian acknowledgment of a negotiation that had until now only emerged through diplomatic and journalistic sources, even though various media outlets had been reporting that Turkey was exploring alternatives to divest itself of the S-400s in order to unblock its relationship with Washington.
A third country as a way out of the S-400 problem
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Ankara initially raised the possibility of returning the S-400 systems to Russia, an option that did not progress. From there, another option began to gain traction: transferring them to a third country, likely in the Persian Gulf, with Moscow’s authorisation.
Russian consent is essential because arms export contracts include restrictions that prevent the resale or transfer of the systems without the supplier country’s approval. Among the potential destinations mentioned by various publications are the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, although no party has officially confirmed a potential buyer so far.
The possibility of an agreed transfer would allow Russia to preserve political control over the fate of one of its most advanced air defence systems, preventing it from ending up under the control of a Western-aligned country without its consent while, at the same time, keeping its strategic relationship with Turkey intact.
Return to the F-35 remains Ankara’s central goal
The S-400 negotiations take place just days after Ankara and Washington acknowledged progress in talks aimed at normalising Turkey’s participation in the F-35 Lightning II program.
As previously reported by Aviacionline, following the recent NATO summit, both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Donald J. Trump expressed their willingness to find a solution to the dispute. At the same time, US officials confirmed that various government agencies are analysing whether Turkey meets the necessary legal conditions to enable a potential resumption of deliveries.
Trump and Erdoğan drive negotiations to unlock delivery of F-35s already paid for by Turkey
The continued presence of the S-400s on Turkish soil remains the main obstacle to any agreement with the United States. From Washington’s perspective, the simultaneous operation of the Russian system alongside the F-35 could compromise highly sensitive information related to the radar cross-section, sensors, and other classified systems of the fifth-generation fighter, which is why Turkey was expelled from the program in 2019 and subsequently sanctioned under the CAATSA law.
Various reports suggest that the United States is considering authorising an initial delivery of six F-35s as part of a potential broader agreement, although this information has not yet been officially confirmed by the White House or the Pentagon, and any decision continues to depend on the US Congress.
Three simultaneous negotiations
More than a simple negotiation over an air defence system, the future of the S-400s has become the convergence point of three diplomatic processes involving Turkey, Russia, and the United States.
For Ankara, divesting itself of the Russian batteries would remove the main obstacle to returning to the F-35 program, restore industrial cooperation with Washington, and advance toward the lifting of sanctions imposed under the CAATSA law, while seeking to preserve the strategic relationship it maintains with Moscow.
For Russia, however, the priority is to retain decision-making power over the final destination of one of its most advanced air defence systems and prevent an eventual transfer from setting a precedent that could affect future arms exports or directly favour Western interests.
The United States faces a different challenge: rebuilding its relationship with a key ally on NATO’s southern flank without relaxing the technology protection requirements that led to Turkey’s expulsion from the F-35 program in 2019. In this context, the S-400 talks are no longer an isolated negotiation but a centrepiece of a much broader agreement aimed at redefining the strategic relationship between Ankara and Washington.