A recent Turkish plan to deploy its Russian-made S-400 missile defense system at Syria’s T-4 military airport has been blocked by Moscow.
The move was reportedly intended to serve dual goals: to protect Syrian airspace from Israeli airstrikes—as promised by Erdoğan to Syria’s new leader al-Julani—and to satisfy U.S. demands to remove the system from Turkish soil in exchange for access to F-35 stealth jets and the aircraft’s production line.
However, it appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shut down the plan. It's unclear whether Israeli pressure played a role or if the decision reflects Russia’s own strategic interests.
Washington has been exploring ways to help Turkey, a NATO ally, offload the S-400 system, which has strained its ties with the U.S. One idea floated last year was to store the system at a U.S. base in Turkey. Another suggestion was to sell it to a third country, such as India or Pakistan, after Turkey’s attempt to acquire the American Patriot missile system was blocked.