US President Donald Trump said in an interview with reporters that Washington will not sell Ankara fighter-bombers F-35 due to the fact that it did not refuse to buy from Russia anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) S-400.

The American leader stressed that he considers the situation “extremely difficult” and “unfair,” and said that he was discussing it with the Turkish authorities. According to him, Turkey planned to buy more than a hundred aircraft, but now will not be able to do it.

Earlier on July 16, the candidate for the post of US Defense Minister Mark Esper said that the supply of the Turkish army of Russian SAMs undermines the potential of the F-35.

Deliveries of S-400 to Turkey began on Friday, July 12. President of the Republic Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the deal with Russia on the supply of SAM is the most important agreement for Ankara, and assured NATO that the Alliance will become stronger and will be the beneficiary of this deal.