Turkey Resists US Pressure to Abandon Russian S-400 Air Defense Systems

Turkey is resisting US pressure to abandon its Russian S-400 air defense systems, but is willing to accept joint oversight with Washington to resolve the issue, according to Bloomberg. The purchase of the S-400s in 2019 led to sanctions against Turkey and its exclusion from the US F-35 fighter jet program. Turkey seeks to acquire F-35s but cannot until the sanctions are lifted, sources said. The US and Turkey are reportedly in talks for a technical mechanism to oversee the S-400s together, with Turkey showing willingness to compromise.