The United States has informally suggested that Turkey should send Russian made S-400 missile defence systems to Ukraine, to help the country fight Russian forces, Reuters reported as per three sources familiar with the situation. 

While US officials have floated this idea with Turkey over the last month, they made no formal request, Reuters reported via their sources. However, the discussion over the S-400 missile systems became part of the talks when Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited Turkey earlier in March. 

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The Joe Biden administration has been trying to get allies to give up their Russian missile defence systems, that is, S-300s and S-400s to help Ukraine fight Moscow. It is also part of a larger attempt by the US to help President Volodymyr Zelensky protect Ukraine’s skies. 

Moreover, the S-400 missile system has long been a matter of contention between the US and Turkey. Since the latter acquired it in 2019, the US has been trying to convince Turkey to sell them. After the purchase, the US also imposed sanctions on Turkey’s defence industry and removed the country from the F-35 fighter jet programme. 

Turkey, meanwhile, has said that it was forced to rely on Russia’s S-400s since the allies didn’t provide weapons where the terms were satisfactory. 

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has Turkey spooked though since President Vladimir Putin didn’t inform his Turkish counterpart, Recep Erdoğan, of his plans to attack, Reuters reported. Turkey shares a maritime boundary with Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea and has good relations with both.

Thus, the nation has had to walk a diplomatic razor’s edge since the invasion started. Turkey condemned Russia’s actions but also opposed sanctions against them while offering to mediate. 

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Now, with this discussion about the missile systems, the US is trying to bring Turkey back into the fold, and accordingly, Sherman told Turkish broadcaster Haberturk while interviewing on March 5, “I think everyone knows that the S-400 has been a long-standing issue and perhaps this is a moment when we can figure out a new way to solve this problem”.