India Seals S-400 Missile Deal With Russia, US Gives Cautious First Response After Sanctions Threat
The US embassy said its intent to slap sanctions against Russia was not aimed at imposing damage to the military capabilities of its “allies or partners”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin before their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI Photo)
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New Delhi: Shortly after India concluded a landmark deal with Russia for the purchase of the formidable S-400 missile defence system, the United States gave a guarded response on whether it would follow through with its threat of sanctions.
The US embassy said its intent to slap sanctions against Russia was not aimed at imposing damage to the military capabilities of its “allies or partners”, but only to inflict costs on Russia for its “malign behaviour”.
The US did not specify whether it would give India a presidential waiver for the deal, making it clear that it would be considered on a transaction-by-transaction basis, adding it cannot prejudge any sanctions decisions.
The US reaction came after India and Russia concluded the USD 5 billion S-400 air defence system deal, notwithstanding the US warning that the deal would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians.
The deal was concluded during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The long-range missile systems will help tighten Indi’s air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.
Other agreements - announced following a meeting between Putin and Modi that began with a hug - were in railways, fertilisers and space, with Russia set to train astronauts for India's first crewed space mission in 2022.
"We welcome you as a leader of a country which has second-to-none relations with us," Modi told a joint news conference. "Today we have taken decisions that will make our long term relations even stronger."
Russia "reiterated its unwavering support to India for permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council" and for India joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries controlling access to nuclear technology, a joint statement said.
The talks also covered Russia potentially building a new nuclear power plant in India, and also India paying Russia $2 billion for frigates and $1 billion for helicopters, although these last two were absent from the communique.
India's decision to purchase the S-400, which shoots down any incoming enemy aircraft and missiles, flies in the face of the United States imposing sanctions on countries buying Russian military hardware, as happened with China last month.
However, Washington is in a tricky position with India, seeking to bolster ties with the Asian giant to counter China's growing assertiveness, something which has also rattled New Delhi.
(With inputs from PTI and AFP)
The US embassy said its intent to slap sanctions against Russia was not aimed at imposing damage to the military capabilities of its “allies or partners”, but only to inflict costs on Russia for its “malign behaviour”.
The US did not specify whether it would give India a presidential waiver for the deal, making it clear that it would be considered on a transaction-by-transaction basis, adding it cannot prejudge any sanctions decisions.
The US reaction came after India and Russia concluded the USD 5 billion S-400 air defence system deal, notwithstanding the US warning that the deal would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians.
The deal was concluded during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The long-range missile systems will help tighten Indi’s air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.
Other agreements - announced following a meeting between Putin and Modi that began with a hug - were in railways, fertilisers and space, with Russia set to train astronauts for India's first crewed space mission in 2022.
"We welcome you as a leader of a country which has second-to-none relations with us," Modi told a joint news conference. "Today we have taken decisions that will make our long term relations even stronger."
Russia "reiterated its unwavering support to India for permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council" and for India joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries controlling access to nuclear technology, a joint statement said.
The talks also covered Russia potentially building a new nuclear power plant in India, and also India paying Russia $2 billion for frigates and $1 billion for helicopters, although these last two were absent from the communique.
India's decision to purchase the S-400, which shoots down any incoming enemy aircraft and missiles, flies in the face of the United States imposing sanctions on countries buying Russian military hardware, as happened with China last month.
However, Washington is in a tricky position with India, seeking to bolster ties with the Asian giant to counter China's growing assertiveness, something which has also rattled New Delhi.
(With inputs from PTI and AFP)