US Sanctions Turkey on S-400, India Remains Unfazed In Face of USA Caution
Dated : 15 Dec 2020 (IST)
USA has entered dangerous territory once more by cautioning India after imposing sanctions on Turkey for buying the Russian-made S400 Triumf anti-missile system. Foolishly the US has also reiterated its warning to India and other countries about acquiring equipment from Moscow. Such actions have huge potential of derailing the growing Indo US relationship.
Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation, Christopher Ford, announced a series of sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) against NATO ally Turkey’s military procurement agency known by the Turkish acronym SSB and four senior Turkish officials.
The latest sanctions against Turkey come on top of the banning of Ankara from getting the advanced F-35 fighter jets.
Ford said that the sanctions would stop SSB from getting export licenses for weapons and from receiving loans and that the US would also oppose loans from other sources to the company.
In addition, four Turkish officials will face visa and financial restrictions, he said.
At the same time, Ford said, “Turkey is a NATO ally, of course, (and) it is going to be close security partner of ours and we remain committed to that relationship.”
The US is at loggerheads with Turkey also on regional issues like Anakara’s involvement in Syria and Iraq and elsewhere.
The announcement of sanctions, comes 37 days before the end of Trump’s term, even though Turkey had signed the deal with Russia in 2017 and began testing it in October.
Thereafter It seems, Without applying his mind He stated “We hope that other countries around the world will also take note that the United States will fully implement CAATSA Section 231 sanctions and that they should avoid further acquisitions of Russian equipment, especially those that could trigger sections,” he said.
India does not bother about Such utterances, As It a Sovereign State which makes its own decisions. India signed a deal valued at $5.43 billion in 2018 for five units of the S-400 anti-missile system even when the US threw all kinds of paraplegic tantrums against this deal.
US has repeatedly and Foolishly tried to dissuade India from buying the Russian system, while trying to coerce a Country like India with the threat of sanctions under CAATSA. It also tried to Pitch Sale Of its own anti-missile system which India considers as third grade in comparison to S400.
Reflecting the weird US decision making process, It has refused to remove India from CAATSA List but at the same time it has continued selling arms to India.
During President Donald Trump’s visit to India last year, he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $3.5 billion arms deal that includes 24 Sikorsky MH-60R Sea Hawk multi-role helicopters and six Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters.
Washington also signed an advanced defence pact, the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement on Geospatial Cooperation, or BECA, in October, giving New Delhi access to intelligence through satellite imagery and data for civilian and military use.
Changing policy under President-Elect Joe Biden on INDIA buying Russian arms may be complicated because CAATSA if applied to India will not only cause trade losses to American Companies but will also completely derail Indo American friendship.
