Washington
The United States hasn’t made a final decision on sanctions on India for its acquisition of the S-400 missile system from Russia under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a top official from Biden’s administration said indicating that Washington is focused on the “future” with New Delhi.
Derek Chollet, top advisor of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said, “I share the view of my boss Secretary Blinken, that we have not made a decision on that (CAATSA), We are focused on the future with the Indians.”
On India’s determination to purchase the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, Blinken during 2+2 ministerial dialogue earlier this month said: “We have not made determination potential sanctions or waivers under CAATSA law.”
During the high level diplomatic and defence dialogue between India and the United States, Blinken reiterated that he had urged all nations not to undertake weapons delivery from Russia.
Acknowledging that India and Russia have a “long history and long relationship” in defence equipment trade, Chollet highlighted that over the last two decades and especially the last one year of the Biden administration has demonstrated the full potential of the US India relationship. The diplomat said that it’s important to note that the relationship between the two democracies is also the result of a bipartisan effort.
“Presidents of both parties (Democrats and Republicans) going back over two decades, now have built on the accomplishments of the other to make the US-India relationship what it is today the work we’re doing,” the Biden administration’s top official told.
The US administration is required under its domestic law to impose sanctions on any country that has significant transactions with Iran, North Korea or Russia.
India had inked the USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia for five squadrons of S-400s in October 2018. The deliveries accelerated ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India and summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
