CNN:
(CNN)Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday seemed to indicate the US was softening its position on congressionally mandated sanctions for Turkey over its purchase of the S-400 Russian missile defense system, stressing that the country should not make the missile defense system “operational.”
“There could be more sanctions to follow but frankly what we’d really like is for the S-400 not to become operational,” Pompeo told Bloomberg Television. “That’s our objective. It’s what we’ve been talking to the Turks about for months and months.”
“They’ve taken delivery of some of the components today and we’re urging them to reconsider that decision,” Pompeo said. He said they’ve “made clear to the Turks that the activation of the S-400 is unacceptable.”
