Hopeful US would find way to resolve dispute with Turkey over S-400: Military officer

The United States' top military officer said on Thursday he was hopeful that Washington would find a way to resolve a dispute with Turkey over its decision to acquire Russia's S-400 air defense system but cautioned: "It is a tough issue." General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was asked about a Reuters report https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-turkey-defense-exclusive-idUSKCN1R20AY suggesting the Pentagon could soon pause preparations to deliver advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.

He responded, "Both the executive branch of our government and legislative branch of our government are going to have a hard time reconciling the presence of the S-400 and the most advanced fighter aircraft that we have, the F-35." "We're hopeful that we can find a way through this, but it is a tough issue," the Marine general told a security forum in Washington.

(With inputs from agencies.)