Russia has agreed a deal with Saudi Arabia to supply advanced S-400 air defence missiles to Riyadh, Vladimir Putin’s aide has announced.
“The talks are ongoing now, the terms are being agreed,” Interfax news agency cited Vladimir Kozhin as saying. He said the contract could be signed “in the nearest time,” giving no further detail.
Mr Putin hosted Saudi King Salman for talks at the Kremlin last week.
Last month Turkey, a Nato member, signed a deal with Russia to buy the missiles, thought to be worth some £1.9bn.
Ankara’s decision to buy the S-400s has been seen in some Western capitals as a snub to the alliance, given tensions with Moscow over Ukraine and Syria, while the deal raised concern because the weapons cannot be integrated into the alliance’s defences.
However, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week Turkey was not seeking to antagonise the US-led alliance by purchasing the system and is in talks with France and Italy to buy similar weapons.
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