Tag: S400

When he appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing, Republican Senator Todd Young asked O'Brien about sanctioning India under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) which requires sanctions against countries buying Russian defence equipment.

Last month, US Senators and India Caucus Co-Chairs Mark Warner and John Cornyn sent a letter to President Joe Biden encouraging him to waive CAATSA sanctions against India for buying military arms from Russia.

But India's emergence as a key partner of the US in the Indo-Pacific region where they confront threats from China, creates a dilemma for Washington.

In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.