U.S. threatens allies with sanctions for any deals in Russian

Washington can impose sanctions even on allied states if they are involved in any significant deals with the Russian defense complex. This was stated by the HEAD of the State Department, Anthony Blinken, during an online round table with the participation of foreign journalists.

“We very clearly and unequivocally urged Turkey to stop buying S-400 systems,” Blinken said, stressing that, despite this, the United States will continue the dialogue with Ankara. The Secretary of State pointed out that the purchase of Russian anti-aircraft missile systems is contrary to the allied obligations that NATO members assumed in accordance with the decisions of the alliance's summit in Warsaw in 2016, including the refusal to use Russian-made weapons. “[Turkey's] purchase of the S-400 jeopardizes the security of the United States and allied military technology, and undermines the cohesion of the alliance between the United States and Turkey. The interaction of the countries of the alliance is also under threat,” Blinken said. In addition, this deal, he noted, allows the Russian defense complex to earn significant funds, andRUSSIA at the same time gets access to the Turkish defense industry.

The Secretary of State recalled that the US Congress in 2017 passed the CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions) Act and imposed secondary sanctions against Russia's partners. “It is very important that Turkey and all US allies and partners avoid buying Russian weapons in the future, including new purchases of S-400 systems,” he stressed. “Any significant Russian arms deals could fall under the CAATSA law.”

Answering questions from a Turkish journalist, Blinken commented on President Joe Biden's statement last week that Turkey was responsible for the 1915 Armenian genocide. The Secretary of State emphasized that this decision should not have come as a surprise to anyone, since Biden spoke out in support of him "for many years," long before he became president. “From the first day in office, the President has made it clear that human rights and democracy will be the main topics of US foreign policy. And part of this is the desire to achieve recognition of history and the crimes that have happened in the past so that they do not happen again, ”concluded Blinken.