icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
25 Jun, 2019 15:45

India to ‘make clear’ to US that S-400 deal with Moscow ‘can’t be wished away’ – report

India to ‘make clear’ to US that S-400 deal with Moscow ‘can’t be wished away’ – report

New Delhi plans to convince the US to grant it a waiver on buying the S-400 air defense missile systems from Moscow, a report says.

 “We have a longstanding defense relationship with Russia we cannot wish away,” a diplomatic source told NDTV ahead of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to New Delhi on Tuesday.

According to the report, it “will be made clear” to Pompeo that India expects to receive a waiver from Washington, allowing the country to acquire Russian arms without the risk of violating US sanctions.

The $5 billion deal to buy five batteries of Russian-made top-notch S-400 Triumf (Triumph) air defense missile systems was signed by President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October.

Also on rt.com Not you too! US warns India against Russian S-400 ahead of Pompeo’s visit

The US had long been warning India against buying Russian weapons, even hinting that dealings with Moscow could affect the future defense contracts with the Pentagon. Last week, a State Department official warned that by buying the S-400s India risks “triggering” sanctions under the 2017 US law, known as CAATSA, which restricts dealings with certain countries, including Russia.

Also on rt.com US threats over F-35 program dishonor NATO alliance, Ankara says

India is not the only partner the US has failed to pressure out of buying the S-400s. Its NATO ally Turkey had signed a similar deal with Moscow and expects the first batch of the missile systems to arrive in July. Turkish officials rebuffed all the warnings from the US, insisting that Ankara is free to decide on which states to buy weapons from.

The US imposed sanctions on Moscow in 2014, following the reunification of Crimea with Russia. The sanctions had since then been extended several times.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0