WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today made the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s announcement that it will impose sanctions on the government of Turkey over its purchase of S-400 missiles from Russia:
“I am very glad to see that Turkey has finally been sanctioned for its purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. These sanctions, which are mandated under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act for significant purchases of Russian military equipment, are long overdue.
“Turkey has been provided ample time and opportunity to abandon its Russian purchase and instead employ defensive systems that are interoperable with NATO’s requirements. These sanctions, as well as Turkey’s dismissal from the F-35 program, are the inevitable result of Turkish President Erdogan’s decisions to prioritize his relationship with the Kremlin over NATO.”
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