US warns India of sanctions over S-400 deal with Russia
The US has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defense system that India intends to buy from Russia would lead the US to implement sanctions against it. The US administration is required under Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act or CAATSA to impose sanctions on any country that has significant transactions with Iran, North Korea, or Russia.
What does the CAATSA deal with?
The CAATSA primarily deals with sanctions on Russian interests such as its oil and gas industry, defense and security sector, and financial institutions, in the backdrop of its military intervention in Ukraine and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US Presidential elections.
S-400 missile deal, a focus area for CAATSA sanctions: US
When asked about India's plan to purchase the multibillion-dollar S-400 from Russia, a State Department Spokesperson said yesterday, "We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA." "The Administration has indicated that a focus area for implementation of CAATSA Section 231 is new or qualitative upgrades in capability, including the S-400," the spokesperson said.
India, Russia to sign S-400 missile deal this week
According to a media report, India and Russia will sign a deal for the multibillion-dollar S-400 surface-to-air missile system this week. The world's largest nation has been negotiating to sell the long-range missiles to India for months. The signing will be overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is visiting New Delhi on October 4-5 for the annual India-Russia summit, the report said.
CAATSA sanctions in response to Russia's malign activities: US
In September, a senior US administration official told that purchase of major military system like the S-400 missile defense system would be considered as a "significant transaction and thus has a potential" for CAATSA sanctions. The official emphasized the ultimate target of these sanctions was Russia "in response to its malign activities" and aren't intended to undermine the defense capabilities of any particular country.
