President Donald Trump said he could not blame Turkey for buying a Russian missile system, a move that resulted in dropping the NATO ally’s participation in the F-35 program, CNBC reports.
“I don’t blame Turkey because there are a lot of circumstances and a lot of ... problems that occurred during the Obama administration,” Trump said. “This dates back to the Obama administration, which was a disaster.”
Trump, who spoke to reporters at the White House, did not elaborate on whether he would impose sanctions on Turkey for doing business with the Kremlin. Under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which the president signed in August 2017, Turkey could face economic sanctions for buying the Russian-made missile system.
“It’s a tough situation. They’re getting the S-400 and our statues and everything else — as you do that, you just can’t order this equipment,” Trump said. “And generally speaking, you can’t order equipment period.”
