US President Donald Trump met with Republican senators Tuesday at the White House to discuss Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense system.
The meeting with 45 senators, including Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Todd Young, lasted 90 minutes.
“IT’S A VERY VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION”
They reportedly discussed the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a federal law concerning potential sanctions against Turkey over its Russian missile purchase.
On Thursday, Trump made a series of contradictory remarks on whether the US will impose sanctions on Turkey. He initially said that sanctions are not under consideration “right now” before later telling reporters “we’re looking at it”.
The president said the situation is “very very difficult” and blamed his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for the row.