India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia in October 2018 to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration.
A US Congressional report, warning over India’s multi-billion-dollar deal to purchase the Russia-made S-400 air defence system, said it may trigger US sanctions on New Delhi.
An independent and bipartisan research wing of US Congress called the Congressional Research Service (CRS), said in its latest report to Congress that India is “eager for more technology-sharing and co-production initiatives, while the United States urges more reforms in India’s defence offsets policy and higher Foreign Direct Investment caps in its defence sector.”
The report, prepared for the members of the Congress for them to make informed decisions, went on to warn that “India’s multi-billion dollar deal to purchase the Russia-made S-400 air defence system may trigger US sanctions on India under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.”
The CRS’ reports are neither official reports of the US Congress nor reflect the view of Congressmen. They are prepared by independent experts for the lawmakers to make informed decisions, said a report by news agency PTI.
India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia in October 2018 to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.
India made the first tranche of payment in 2019, paying around $800 million to Russia for the missile systems.
The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.
Implementation of its ongoing defence deals with India, including the supply of a batch of S-400 missile systems, is advancing well notwithstanding the threat of US sanctions, Russia had said last month.
Russian ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev, at a press conference in New Delhi last month, appeared to criticise the US sanctions on Turkey for procuring the S-400 missile systems under a $2.5 billion deal, saying Moscow does not recognise such unilateral actions.
“We do not recognise or welcome unilateral sanctions as a language or tool or instrument of interstate or international relations, other than those applied by the UN Security Council,” said Kudashev.
“As far as India is concerned, we share the same platform. India’s position is also crystal clear. No sanctions are acknowledged other than those imposed by the UN Security Council. Whatever the future is, we believe that our ties could withstand the coming challenges,” he further added.
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