ANKARA, July 7. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said he does not view Turkey’s earlier purchase of S-400 air defense systems from Russia as an obstacle to a potential contract to sell US-made F-35 fighter jets to the country.
Trump said the contract is "something certainly we consider."
"We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal," Trump added.
He reiterated that he would probably refuse to take part in the summit if it were not held in Turkey.
"I was very disappointed with NATO, and frankly, if it weren’t held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it’s possible that I wouldn’t have attended," Trump said.
In 2017, Turkey acquired four divisions of S-400 air defense systems from Russia in a $2.5 billion deal. In October 2019, Rosoboronexport weapons exporter said the systems had been delivered. After signing a contract with Russia for the supply of a regimental set of S-400, Ankara was excluded from a US program to create a new generation of F-35 fighters. At that time, the White House claimed that American fighter jets and Russian air defense systems cannot coexist in the same airspace.