Exempt India from sanctions for buying Russian arms: US Senators

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 27

Ahead of Russia’s impending delivery of S-400 missiles to India, two US Senators have urged the Joe Biden administration to exempt New Delhi from sanctions triggered by the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The two Senators, Mark Warner and John Cornyn, have said India has signed a deal with Russia for the purchase of the S-400 missile system, but such transactions were on a decline.

Their observations coincide with a report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) this week which reached to the same conclusion.

“There has been a considerable drop in India’s dependence on arms and equipment from Russia, but the Indian military cannot operate effectively without Russian-supplied equipment and will continue to rely on its weapons systems in the near and middle terms,” it said.

When it comes to the crunch, New Delhi may not need the helping hand of US Senators because External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is convinced of his powers of persuasion. Way back in 2019 during his US visit, the minister had said, “I am reasonably convinced of the powers of my persuasion. It would be my hope that people understand why this transaction is important for us.”

‘Russia arms supply down but indispensable’

A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report has said there has been a considerable drop in India’s dependence on arms and equipment from Russia, but the Indian military cannot operate effectively without Russian-supplied equipment and will continue to rely on its weapons systems in the near and middle terms.