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| India not sanctioned by CAATSA after purchasing S-400 anti-air system /eurasiantimes |
International Military - India bought the S-400 anti-air weapon system from Russia, a deal worth more than $5 billion between the two countries that has been under way since October 2018.
Even though at that time the Trump administration had warned New Delhi of its intention to buy Russian products. But until the Joe Biden administration has not decided to impose CAATSA sanctions on the South Asian nation's possession of the S-400.
CAATSA was passed in 2017, its purpose is to give the US Government the authority to impose sanctions on countries that do business (especially procurement of combat fleets) with Russia. Although the main target is Russia, eurasiantimes assesses that CAATSA will also be given to those who make transactions with Iran and North Korea.
Although CAATSA is a product of US law and cannot be applied to any other country, Washington insists that any country contribute to the economic benefits of Russia, North Korea and Iran. This is because transactions that occur will deal with US institutions, including world banks and their currency, namely the dollar.
Returning to the initial discussion, in contrast to Turkey, Ankara received sanctions in the form of their expulsion from the F-35 fighter jet procurement program. In addition, Ankara's imports of weapons from Western countries are restricted by Washington. So, why are the cases of the two countries different?
US wants to maintain good relations with India
One of the reasons why the US did not impose CAATSA sanctions on India is because New Delhi is one of Washington's main arms markets.
According to The Print, India's fighter fleet is sourced from the US and will likely continue to advance. This includes a nearly $3 billion deal to procure new attack drones and fighter jets for the Indian Air Force and Navy.
The Biden administration recognizes the fact that India is now one of its strategic allies, and as such will not rush to impose CAATSA sanctions on them.
US wants to ask India for help against China
The S-400 is the most powerful anti-air system in the world, this claim even comes from the US. For this reason, Washington “sees” the advantages of India's possession of advanced weapons.
“India is an important ally in our competition against China. Therefore, I support the abolition of CAATSA against India," Senator Young said on The Hindu website. "As most people already know, India has a legacy of weapons from the previous decade and can be interoperated with Russian systems," he added.
It should be noted that now India is trying to defend their land borders from Chinese attacks. Likewise, the ongoing conflict in the Indian Ocean is getting bolder from the disobedient actions of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.