WASHINGTON – A top Pentagon official cautioned India on Wednesday thatthere are no guarantees for a special waiver from US sanctions if it buysnew weapons platforms from Russia.
Washington is alarmed at the prospect of India, an increasingly importantUS military ally and the world s top defense importer, buying new systemsfrom Russia, including its S-400 long-range, surface-to-air missile system.
Under current US rules against Russia, third countries could face sanctionsif they transact with Russian defense or intelligence sectors.
But after lobbying from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Congress granted theUS president and the secretary of state the option of granting waivers,such as when an ally nation transitions from legacy Russian gear to Westernarms.
Randall Schriver, the Pentagon s assistant secretary of defense for Asianand Pacific Security Affairs, said the waiver authority had created theimpression Washington would insulate India “from any fallout from thislegislation no matter what they do.”
“I would say that s a bit misleading,” Schriver told an audience at theCarnegie Endowment For International Peace in Washington.
“We would still have very significant concerns if India pursued major newplatforms and systems (from Russia). I can t sit here and tell you thatthey would be exempt, that we would use that waiver.”
Schriver was speaking ahead of a historic summit in New Delhi next week, afirst ever “2+2″ between India and the United States that will see Mattisand Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meet with their Indian counterparts.
Schriver said the prospect of India buying the S-400 is particularly”troubling” for a lot of reasons.
“Our strong preference … is (for India) to seek alternatives and see ifwe could be a partner to India in addressing those defense needs,” he said.
The United States has in recent years pushed to forge closer diplomatic andmilitary ties with India, a fellow democracy that it sees as key tocountering China s growing regional ambitions.
India has increasingly turned to the United States and France for armspurchases, but is still reliant on Russian hardware and expertise tomaintain its existing arsenal.
Schriver said the Indian and US militaries would next week discussexpanding the scope and complexity of joint military exercises. – APP/AFP