The possibility of transferring Russia’s S-400 air-defence systems from Turkey to a third country friendly to Moscow is on the agenda for discussions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“The issue is on the agenda, the relevant work is being carried out and the appropriate contacts are taking place,” Peskov said in response to a question from journalists about whether Russia was considering the possibility of moving the systems from Turkish territory.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had said that Moscow was leaving open the possibility of transferring the S-400s from Turkey to a third friendly country, although no such request has been submitted so far.

As Lavrov clarified, any such transfer cannot take place without Russia’s consent.

The Turkey–Russia Agreement That Triggered a Crisis with the US

In 2017, Turkey purchased four batteries of S-400 air-defence systems from Russia, at a total cost of approximately $2.5 billion.

In October 2019, Russian company Rosoboronexport, which belongs to the state-owned Rostec group, announced that the procurement contract had been completed.

Ankara’s decision to acquire the Russian systems triggered a serious confrontation with Washington. Following the signing of the Turkey–Russia agreement for the procurement of the S-400s, Ankara was excluded from the US programme to develop F-35 fighter aircraft.

The United States had argued that the use of the S-400s by a NATO ally posed security risks to advanced US systems.