Russia's pipeline monopoly Transneft is investigating a case of contaminated oil, Russian President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/parents-of-novichok-victim-ask-why-uk-settled-ex-spy-in-salisbury-197770">Vladimir Putin</a> said on Saturday, adding that this could lead to a wider inquiry, possibly including law enforcement agencies.

Poland, Germany, Ukraine and some other countries suspended imports of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline this week due to the contamination.

Russia said it plans to restore the pipeline to Europe to stability in two weeks.

"I am aware of what happened, but the details are unknown to me because in order to understand what happened there one needs to conduct an investigation," Putin told reporters in Beijing, adding that he briefly exchanged views on the case with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The problem arose last week when an unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil with high levels of organic chloride, which is typically used to boost oil output but which must be separated before shipment as it can destroy refining equipment.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered the energy and trade ministries to conduct an inquiry within seven days and prepare proposals on how to avoid a repeat, Interfax news agency reported, citing a government statement which said the results should be sent to the prosecutor's office.

Transneft said on Friday that the contamination which led to the suspension of the oil flows to Europe could be deliberate and that a criminal case was opened, Interfax news agency said.

"First of all, of course, it is necessary to conduct an investigation at the level of Transneft itself and to identify the place from which it came from, for what reasons, what it was and so on.

"This investigation is ongoing," Putin said.

"If the internal corporate investigation is not enough, I do not rule out that we will conduct more thorough (investigation) with the help of law enforcement agencies and specialists", Putin said.

Russia's pipeline monopoly Transneft is investigating a case of contaminated oil, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, adding that this could lead to a wider inquiry, possibly including law enforcement agencies.

Russia's pipeline monopoly Transneft is investigating a case of contaminated oil, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, adding that this could lead to a wider inquiry, possibly including law enforcement agencies. Poland, Germany, Ukraine and some other countries suspended imports of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline this week due to the contamination. Russia said it plans to restore the pipeline to Europe to stability in two weeks. "I am aware of what happened, but the details are unknown to me because in order to understand what happened there one needs to conduct an investigation," Putin told reporters in Beijing, adding that he briefly exchanged views on the case with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The problem arose last week when an unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil with high levels of organic chloride, which is typically used to boost oil output but which must be separated before shipment as it can destroy refining equipment. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered the energy and trade ministries to conduct an inquiry within seven days and prepare proposals on how to avoid a repeat, Interfax news agency reported, citing a government statement which said the results should be sent to the prosecutor's office. Transneft said on Friday that the contamination which led to the suspension of the oil flows to Europe could be deliberate and that a criminal case was opened, Interfax news agency said. "First of all, of course, it is necessary to conduct an investigation at the level of Transneft itself and to identify the place from which it came from, for what reasons, what it was and so on. "This investigation is ongoing," Putin said. "If the internal corporate investigation is not enough, I do not rule out that we will conduct more thorough (investigation) with the help of law enforcement agencies and specialists", Putin said.

Vladimir Putin flags wider investigation into contaminated Russian oil

By Bill Law

One of the many challenges of covering the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on global affairs is that in the constant churn of stories generated by his Twitter outbursts and the abrupt policy decisions he makes, really important stories get lost in the storm.&nbsp;

One of those lost stories happened the weekend before the US president’s delayed State of the Union address, which he finally delivered on February 5.

On the preceding Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was following in Trump’s footsteps and pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). In what he called a “symmetrical response,” Putin signalled that a new nuclear arms race was underway: “Our American partners announced that they are suspending their participation in the INF Treaty, and we are suspending it too. They said that they are engaged in research, development and design work, and we will do the same.”

It was a clever response, with Putin able to say that Russia was against the destruction of the treaty, but if that was what the US was going to do by walking away, then his country would mirror American actions step by step. You develop and build new nuclear weapons, we will too.

There was a time, not so long ago, when the world was striving to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. All of those Cold War decades of delicate and exquisitely challenging negotiations designed to stave off nuclear annihilation now seem somehow quaintly old-fashioned. In the macho world of the new authoritarians, led by President Trump, the bigger the weapons and the more you have, the tougher you are.

Trump’s reason for pulling out of the INF was that the Russians were non-compliant and were using the agreement as cover to get a leg up on America. That is undoubtedly the case but the treaty, even in violation, acted as a constraint. So, why would what is still the world’s greatest military superpower enable the Russians by walking away? And what are the implications for the Gulf and the wider Middle East as a new nuclear arms race emerges from Trump’s decision? 
 
Nuclear weapons in the Gulf

To the first question, one can only speculate, given the strange and troubling relationship that Trump has with what has been America’s greatest enemy: Russia. It is the second question, however, that should be of most concern. As the war rhetoric against Iran ratchets up, and as the nonproliferation environment weakens, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may push to arm Saudi Arabia with nuclear weapons.

Though he dismisses the Iranian military capacity in public, in private he must know that in any conventional war scenario, the battle-hardened Iranians would prevail on the ground. The Saudis may have sharpened their air expertise in Yemen at the expense of both the civilian population and the rebel Houthis, but it is ground forces that would ultimately decide the outcome. As the Yemen conflict has shown, Saudi Arabia’s ground troops are an incompetent and ill-prepared fighting force, hence the reliance on the air war to try subdue the Houthis.

In a conventional war, the Iranians would use Iraq as the pathway to attack Saudi Arabia along its northern border. They could be in the capital Riyadh in a matter of days. That is a sobering thought and one that could serve as a catalyst for securing the bomb. The logical place to turn to is Pakistan, which has possessed nuclear weapons since the mid-1980s. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is much beholden to the Saudis, even more so than his predecessors. Indeed, he came to the so-called “Davos in the Desert” in October 2018 with a begging bowl in hand, one the Saudis were happy to fill.

If Saudi Arabia acquired nuclear weapons, then it follows that Iran would do so as well. Indeed there are forces within Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who have long advocated that to preserve and protect the revolution, their nation must have the bomb.

And here we come to the extraordinarily reckless and dangerous game that President Trump, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are playing. Bolton, in particular, has long advocated for regime change in Iran. The harsh sanctions that America is imposing on the Iranians and demanding that the rest of the world follow are intended not so much to effect regime change in and of themselves, but rather to prevent the Iranians for a time from securing nuclear firepower.

The Saudis, in the meantime, will have picked up, off the shelve, nuclear weapons from Pakistan. Backed by a nuclear-armed Israel that shares the Saudi fear of Iran and with whom Mohammed bin Salman has forged a close relationship, the two together with other Gulf states will be the ones to force regime change backed by the nuclear muscle that Iran lacks. They and not the Americans. So the thinking goes.

That scenario is useful for Trump because the last thing his base wants is any more engagements in foreign places — and that is especially true of the Middle East. Hence, his oft-repeated and ill-thought-out vows to withdraw American troops. These are gambits, designed to shore up his support as he heads into what will undoubtedly prove for him a bruising and difficult re-election bid in 2020.

The Iranians, however, will not succumb. Indeed, such naked threats will only serve to pull the country’s often battling factions together. Iran will do whatever is necessary to acquire a nuclear counter-punch. And Vladimir Putin, burnishing his already significant power in the region, may be very happy to oblige.

A nuclear stand-off in the Gulf, with all that that implies, could be far closer than any of us realises. 
 
(Bill Law is an award-winning journalist. He has reported extensively from the Middle East since 2002)

(This article was originally published on the Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/gulf-news-headlines-saudi-arabia-iran-inf-treaty-donald-trump-world-news-39871/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Bill Law One of the many challenges of covering the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on global affairs is that in the constant churn of stories generated by his Twitter outbursts and the abrupt policy decisions he makes, really important stories get lost in the storm.

By Bill Law One of the many challenges of covering the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on global affairs is that in the constant churn of stories generated by his Twitter outbursts and the abrupt policy decisions he makes, really important stories get lost in the storm. One of those lost stories happened the weekend before the US president’s delayed State of the Union address, which he finally delivered on February 5. On the preceding Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was following in Trump’s footsteps and pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). In what he called a “symmetrical response,” Putin signalled that a new nuclear arms race was underway: “Our American partners announced that they are suspending their participation in the INF Treaty, and we are suspending it too. They said that they are engaged in research, development and design work, and we will do the same.” It was a clever response, with Putin able to say that Russia was against the destruction of the treaty, but if that was what the US was going to do by walking away, then his country would mirror American actions step by step. You develop and build new nuclear weapons, we will too. There was a time, not so long ago, when the world was striving to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. All of those Cold War decades of delicate and exquisitely challenging negotiations designed to stave off nuclear annihilation now seem somehow quaintly old-fashioned. In the macho world of the new authoritarians, led by President Trump, the bigger the weapons and the more you have, the tougher you are. Trump’s reason for pulling out of the INF was that the Russians were non-compliant and were using the agreement as cover to get a leg up on America. That is undoubtedly the case but the treaty, even in violation, acted as a constraint. So, why would what is still the world’s greatest military superpower enable the Russians by walking away? And what are the implications for the Gulf and the wider Middle East as a new nuclear arms race emerges from Trump’s decision? Nuclear weapons in the Gulf To the first question, one can only speculate, given the strange and troubling relationship that Trump has with what has been America’s greatest enemy: Russia. It is the second question, however, that should be of most concern. As the war rhetoric against Iran ratchets up, and as the nonproliferation environment weakens, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may push to arm Saudi Arabia with nuclear weapons. Though he dismisses the Iranian military capacity in public, in private he must know that in any conventional war scenario, the battle-hardened Iranians would prevail on the ground. The Saudis may have sharpened their air expertise in Yemen at the expense of both the civilian population and the rebel Houthis, but it is ground forces that would ultimately decide the outcome. As the Yemen conflict has shown, Saudi Arabia’s ground troops are an incompetent and ill-prepared fighting force, hence the reliance on the air war to try subdue the Houthis. In a conventional war, the Iranians would use Iraq as the pathway to attack Saudi Arabia along its northern border. They could be in the capital Riyadh in a matter of days. That is a sobering thought and one that could serve as a catalyst for securing the bomb. The logical place to turn to is Pakistan, which has possessed nuclear weapons since the mid-1980s. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is much beholden to the Saudis, even more so than his predecessors. Indeed, he came to the so-called “Davos in the Desert” in October 2018 with a begging bowl in hand, one the Saudis were happy to fill. If Saudi Arabia acquired nuclear weapons, then it follows that Iran would do so as well. Indeed there are forces within Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who have long advocated that to preserve and protect the revolution, their nation must have the bomb. And here we come to the extraordinarily reckless and dangerous game that President Trump, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are playing. Bolton, in particular, has long advocated for regime change in Iran. The harsh sanctions that America is imposing on the Iranians and demanding that the rest of the world follow are intended not so much to effect regime change in and of themselves, but rather to prevent the Iranians for a time from securing nuclear firepower. The Saudis, in the meantime, will have picked up, off the shelve, nuclear weapons from Pakistan. Backed by a nuclear-armed Israel that shares the Saudi fear of Iran and with whom Mohammed bin Salman has forged a close relationship, the two together with other Gulf states will be the ones to force regime change backed by the nuclear muscle that Iran lacks. They and not the Americans. So the thinking goes. That scenario is useful for Trump because the last thing his base wants is any more engagements in foreign places — and that is especially true of the Middle East. Hence, his oft-repeated and ill-thought-out vows to withdraw American troops. These are gambits, designed to shore up his support as he heads into what will undoubtedly prove for him a bruising and difficult re-election bid in 2020. The Iranians, however, will not succumb. Indeed, such naked threats will only serve to pull the country’s often battling factions together. Iran will do whatever is necessary to acquire a nuclear counter-punch. And Vladimir Putin, burnishing his already significant power in the region, may be very happy to oblige. A nuclear stand-off in the Gulf, with all that that implies, could be far closer than any of us realises. (Bill Law is an award-winning journalist. He has reported extensively from the Middle East since 2002) (This article was originally published on the Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The dangerous nuclear games in the Gulf

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro and expressed support, after several other nations recognised self-declared leader Juan Guaido, the Kremlin said.

"The President of Russia expressed support for the legitimate authorities of Venezuela in the context of a domestic political crisis that has been provoked from the outside," it said.&nbsp;

Putin said that any intervention by other countries "violates the fundamental norms of international law," according to the statement.&nbsp;

According to the Kremlin, Maduro thanked Russia for its "principled position" on the ongoing crisis.

On Wednesday, the United States and major South American nations recognised opposition head Guaido as interim leader. The UN urged dialogue in Caracas to avoid "disaster".

The Kremlin has backed Maduro, who has been hit by US and EU sanctions, and ostracised as a dictator by Western powers for his suppression of the opposition.&nbsp;

Moscow has warned Washington against any attempts to militarily intervene in Venezuela.

Russia has extensive economic interests in Venezuela and has invested billions of dollars in its energy sector.

Last December Putin hosted Maduro as he travelled to Russia to whip up support from allies to prop up his regime and an economy in free fall.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro and expressed support, after several other nations recognised self-declared leader Juan Guaido, the Kremlin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro and expressed support, after several other nations recognised self-declared leader Juan Guaido, the Kremlin said. "The President of Russia expressed support for the legitimate authorities of Venezuela in the context of a domestic political crisis that has been provoked from the outside," it said. Putin said that any intervention by other countries "violates the fundamental norms of international law," according to the statement. According to the Kremlin, Maduro thanked Russia for its "principled position" on the ongoing crisis. On Wednesday, the United States and major South American nations recognised opposition head Guaido as interim leader. The UN urged dialogue in Caracas to avoid "disaster". The Kremlin has backed Maduro, who has been hit by US and EU sanctions, and ostracised as a dictator by Western powers for his suppression of the opposition. Moscow has warned Washington against any attempts to militarily intervene in Venezuela. Russia has extensive economic interests in Venezuela and has invested billions of dollars in its energy sector. Last December Putin hosted Maduro as he travelled to Russia to whip up support from allies to prop up his regime and an economy in free fall.

Putin calls Venezuela's Maduro to show support: Kremlin

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indra-2018-after-land-exercise-india-russia-naval-drill-begins-in-bay-of-bengal-183949">India and Russia</a> have reiterated their support for Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country.

Regular&nbsp;bilateral consultations between India and Russia on Afghanistan were held here on Thursday.

In this context, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-says-west-trying-to-hold-back-powerful-russia-185542">Russian President Vladimir Putin</a>'s special envoy Zamir Kabulov held delegation-level talks with Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) Deepak Mittal, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

During&nbsp;the meeting, both sides reiterated their support for "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" inclusive peace and reconciliation process. The Russian side briefed on their efforts to support the peace process through Moscow format of talks.

"It was agreed to maintain regular bilateral consultations and coordination including in the context of international fora with the shared objective to promote peace, security, stability, unity and prosperity in Afghanistan," he added.

The&nbsp;two sides also agreed to hold the next round of consultations on the matter in Moscow in 2019. The&nbsp;Russian envoy later called on Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale.&nbsp;

India and Russia have reiterated their support for Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country. Regular bilateral consultations between India and Russia on Afghanistan were held here on Thursday.

India and Russia have reiterated their support for Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country. Regular bilateral consultations between India and Russia on Afghanistan were held here on Thursday. In this context, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Zamir Kabulov held delegation-level talks with Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) Deepak Mittal, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. During the meeting, both sides reiterated their support for "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" inclusive peace and reconciliation process. The Russian side briefed on their efforts to support the peace process through Moscow format of talks. "It was agreed to maintain regular bilateral consultations and coordination including in the context of international fora with the shared objective to promote peace, security, stability, unity and prosperity in Afghanistan," he added. The two sides also agreed to hold the next round of consultations on the matter in Moscow in 2019. The Russian envoy later called on Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale.

India, Russia pledge for Afghan-led peace process

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday the Kremlin should play a leading role in Russian rap music and in youth culture, rather than trying to shut it down.

His comments follow a spate of concert cancellations by venue owners and local authorities across Russia and the brief arrest of a popular rap artist, Husky. The crackdown has sparked considerable discussion in recent months, especially among young people.

Putin said such heavy-handed measures were often counterproductive and suggested an alternative approach.

"If it's impossible to stop something, you've got to take charge of it," he said during a live broadcast of a meeting of his advisory council on culture and the arts.

"How to do this, how to take charge and guide in the necessary direction... That's the most important issue," he said, adding that the question would be discussed further by members of his administration and the culture ministry.

Husky, who raps in Russian and whose songs have at times been critical of the government, said his concerts were under pressure because authorities objected to lyrics they found offensive.

After his concert was cancelled in Krasnodar, in southern Russia, he tried to perform from the roof of a car instead, leading to his arrest for hooliganism.

His arrest and sentenced to 12 days imprisonment led to a public outcry and the rapper was released early, thanks to the intervention of members of the presidential administration, the editor of state broadcaster Russia Today said on Twitter.

Putin on Saturday was responding to a statement about rap concert cancellations made by music producer and member of the advisory council Igor Matvienko. Among other suggestions, Matvienko proposed creating a parental advisory guidance system for concerts.

Addressing Matvienko, Putin said, "You said that rap (rests on) three pillars: sex, drugs and protests. Of all of these, drugs are the most worrying," Putin said. "They are the route to a nation's degradation."

Putin also addressed the question of how to regulate the musical genre's use of censorious language.

He said that he had talked about swearing with a linguist.

"She told me personally that it's a part of our language. It's just a question of how you use it," he said.

Matvienko also suggested guidelines on the use of swear words online and in the media, but Putin said this was a sensitive matter as such words are part of Russians' common culture.

Likening swear words to body parts, Putin joked: "we have all sorts of body parts, and it's not like we put them on display all the time, whether it's hot or cold."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday the Kremlin should play a leading role in Russian rap music and in youth culture, rather than trying to shut it down.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday the Kremlin should play a leading role in Russian rap music and in youth culture, rather than trying to shut it down. His comments follow a spate of concert cancellations by venue owners and local authorities across Russia and the brief arrest of a popular rap artist, Husky. The crackdown has sparked considerable discussion in recent months, especially among young people. Putin said such heavy-handed measures were often counterproductive and suggested an alternative approach. "If it's impossible to stop something, you've got to take charge of it," he said during a live broadcast of a meeting of his advisory council on culture and the arts. "How to do this, how to take charge and guide in the necessary direction... That's the most important issue," he said, adding that the question would be discussed further by members of his administration and the culture ministry. Husky, who raps in Russian and whose songs have at times been critical of the government, said his concerts were under pressure because authorities objected to lyrics they found offensive. After his concert was cancelled in Krasnodar, in southern Russia, he tried to perform from the roof of a car instead, leading to his arrest for hooliganism. His arrest and sentenced to 12 days imprisonment led to a public outcry and the rapper was released early, thanks to the intervention of members of the presidential administration, the editor of state broadcaster Russia Today said on Twitter. Putin on Saturday was responding to a statement about rap concert cancellations made by music producer and member of the advisory council Igor Matvienko. Among other suggestions, Matvienko proposed creating a parental advisory guidance system for concerts. Addressing Matvienko, Putin said, "You said that rap (rests on) three pillars: sex, drugs and protests. Of all of these, drugs are the most worrying," Putin said. "They are the route to a nation's degradation." Putin also addressed the question of how to regulate the musical genre's use of censorious language. He said that he had talked about swearing with a linguist. "She told me personally that it's a part of our language. It's just a question of how you use it," he said. Matvienko also suggested guidelines on the use of swear words online and in the media, but Putin said this was a sensitive matter as such words are part of Russians' common culture. Likening swear words to body parts, Putin joked: "we have all sorts of body parts, and it's not like we put them on display all the time, whether it's hot or cold."

Kremlin should take the lead on rap music, not shut it down: Putin

G20 Summit: Second India-China- Russia trilateral meet after 12 years

Turkey will pay in rubles or lira, rather than dollars, for its major order of Russian S-400 missile defence systems that has troubled Ankara's Western allies, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/police-search-villas-in-northwest-turkey-for-khashoggi-remains-179602">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> said on Thursday.

Erdogan said the final currency composition had yet to be agreed but confirmed he expected the deliveries of the systems to take place in 2019.

His comments came a day after Putin said that Russia was cutting its dependency on dollars in international trade due to increasingly tough US sanctions. 
Turkey is also looking to do the same after the lira plunged in value on financial markets over the summer, although it has recovered in the last month.

"We always had this principle -- that we would do this deal using local money," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul before leaving for the G20 summit in Argentina where he is expected to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"So, in the end, we agreed that it would either be in rubles or Turkish lira," he said.

But he added: "But I know that the work of our central banks has still not reached the final point. We have around a year to go. God willing, these deliveries will be made towards the end of 2019."&nbsp;

Putin said on Wednesday that while "it isn't our goal to desert the dollar... The dollar is deserting us."&nbsp;

Putin noted dollars did not feature in the S-400 deal with Turkey and Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov recently said Moscow's key defence client India will also pay for a similar order of S-400s in rubles.

The S-400 order is seen as one of the key symbols of NATO member Turkey's flourishing relationship with Russia under Erdogan and Putin.

The order has raised questions among NATO allies over the systems' compatibility with NATO equipment and also the broader implications for Turkey's future strategic orientation.

President Donald Trump in August signed a defence authorisation act that could prohibit the delivery of F-35 stealth aircraft to Turkey if it goes ahead with the purchase of the S-400, which can shoot down missiles as well as aircraft.

According to Russian media, Turkey is buying four S-400 systems in a contract worth a total of $2.5 billion.

Turkey will pay in rubles or lira, rather than dollars, for its major order of Russian S-400 missile defence systems that has troubled Ankara's Western allies, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.

Turkey will pay in rubles or lira, rather than dollars, for its major order of Russian S-400 missile defence systems that has troubled Ankara's Western allies, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday. Erdogan said the final currency composition had yet to be agreed but confirmed he expected the deliveries of the systems to take place in 2019. His comments came a day after Putin said that Russia was cutting its dependency on dollars in international trade due to increasingly tough US sanctions. Turkey is also looking to do the same after the lira plunged in value on financial markets over the summer, although it has recovered in the last month. "We always had this principle -- that we would do this deal using local money," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul before leaving for the G20 summit in Argentina where he is expected to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "So, in the end, we agreed that it would either be in rubles or Turkish lira," he said. But he added: "But I know that the work of our central banks has still not reached the final point. We have around a year to go. God willing, these deliveries will be made towards the end of 2019." Putin said on Wednesday that while "it isn't our goal to desert the dollar... The dollar is deserting us." Putin noted dollars did not feature in the S-400 deal with Turkey and Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov recently said Moscow's key defence client India will also pay for a similar order of S-400s in rubles. The S-400 order is seen as one of the key symbols of NATO member Turkey's flourishing relationship with Russia under Erdogan and Putin. The order has raised questions among NATO allies over the systems' compatibility with NATO equipment and also the broader implications for Turkey's future strategic orientation. President Donald Trump in August signed a defence authorisation act that could prohibit the delivery of F-35 stealth aircraft to Turkey if it goes ahead with the purchase of the S-400, which can shoot down missiles as well as aircraft. According to Russian media, Turkey is buying four S-400 systems in a contract worth a total of $2.5 billion.

Turkey to pay for Russian S-400s in rubles or lira: Erdogan

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