US to allow India to buy Russian weapons without the risk of sanctions

On July 14, the US House of Representatives approved the Sanctions Amendment Act (CAATSA) that will allow India to avoid sanctions for the purchase of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) from Russia.

The amendment was introduced by Indian-born Democrat Ro Khanna, TASS reports with reference to the Indian agency Press Trust of India (PTI).

The document calls on the White House administration to release India from sanctions amid escalation from China.

“The United States must stand by India in the face of China’s escalation of aggression. As vice chairman of the Caucus on India, I am working to strengthen the partnership between our countries and ensure that India can defend itself along the Indian-Chinese border, ”PTI quotes Hanna as saying during a speech in Congress.

India announced that it is going to purchase S-400 air defence systems from Russia in 2015. In 2018, the parties signed an agreement on the supply of five batches of S-400 air defence systems. In April 2022, The Times of India, citing a source, reported that deliveries were delayed. The United States opposes, in their opinion, that the S-400 air defence systems can violate the security of the US military. The US has also said it wants to be India’s “partner of choice” in “virtually every area”, including military modernization.