Russia seems to be having a hard time finding a buyer for its most advanced weapons in the Middle East.

In early January, there were reports that Algeria had rejected a deal to purchase Russian Su-35 fighter jets. According to Algerian defense analysts, Algiers came to the decision due to a lack of a modern on-board radar station, which does not meet the requirements of the Algerian military.

Over the past 10 years, the Algerian air force’s fleet has been updated with Russian Su-30MKA fighters. But the most important contract was signed in 2019, when Algeria bought from Russia 16 heavy Su-30MKI (A) and 14 medium MiG-29M / M2 fighters worth $2 billion. This marked the continuation of military-technical cooperation between Russia and Algeria with the latter's new government. The first planes under this contract entered service in the fall of 2020. The next step was to be the purchase of Su-35 fighters, which was unexpectedly canceled.

Algeria also buys Terminator combat vehicles, T-90A tanks and S-400 air defense systems from Moscow, and there seems to be no serious threat that the nation will significantly reduce its military-technical cooperation with Russia. Yet this could pan out if the real reason for the refusal of the Su-35 deal was the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). This US law, passed in July 2017, allows sanctions against "the destabilizing activities of the Iranian, Russian and North Korean regimes," including countries that buy weapons from Russia.