The United States has been not-so-secretly trying to find ways for NATO ally Turkey to "transfer" its Russian-made S-400 Triumf air defense system, and earlier this month, there were reports that Washington offered to house the anti-aircraft platform at the U.S. military base in Turkey. Other options put on the table have included a sale of the S-400s, which Turkey acquired after it was unable to close a deal to purchase the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system, to a third party state.

It has also been suggested that Turkey could supply the Triumfs to Ukraine.

However, none of those options are likely to get approval from Moscow, due to the "existence of the end-user certificate, which is part and parcel of the arms supply contract," Russian state media outlet Tass reported on Saturday. As the Russian news outlet added, due to the end-user certificates, which arms control treaties require when such systems are sold, it could be difficult for Turkey to transfer the S-400 to another nation.

It hasn't just been Washington that has backed such a proposal.

In August, Turkish businessman Cavit Caglar, who served as minister of state in the early 1990s, suggested that Ankara should dump the S-400 – and find a foreign buyer, perhaps India or Pakistan – and that such a move could win the good graces of Washington.

The Russian government needs to sign off, and obviously a transfer to Ukraine wouldn't be approved, but even a sale to India – which has also purchased the platform – could be held up. It could be suggested that Moscow gains from having a NATO ally owning the system as it caused Turkey to be expelled from the F-35 Lightning II program. Moreover, it has resulted in cracks within the foundation of the international military alliance, something that certainly benefits Russia.

Russian Excuses on S-400

End users certifications (EUCs) are required by many governments as a way to restrict the flow of weapons to "undesired nations."

Russia is a nation that follows the letter of the law when it suits the Kremlin and other times ignores it. That much was clear based on comments made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov while he attended the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York City.

"The arms contracts contain the end-user certificate paragraph," Lavrov said during a press conference at the UN. "In order to do something else with the products that are delivered under such a certificate, which mentions the country that has received these weapons as the end user, the consent of the country that sold these weapons is needed."

The foreign minister added "there is nothing to comment on" when asked about the NATO member Turkey's purchase of the Russian-made air defense platform.

Lavrov also praised Turkey's president, who was narrowly reelected last year.

"Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is an experienced statesman. He makes decisions on any issue in the interests of his people and his country," Lavrov said.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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