NEW DELHI – India announced the multi-billion-dollar purchase of Russia´sS-400 air defence system and several other deals with Moscow Friday duringa visit to New Delhi by President Vladimir Putin.
The agreements, announced following Putin´s talks with Indian PrimeMinister Narendra Modi, come despite threats of sanctions by the UnitedStates on countries buying Russian military hardware.
“The sides welcomed the conclusion of the contract for the supply of theS-400 long-range surface-to-air missile system to India,” a jointIndian-Russian statement said.
Other agreements — following a meeting between Putin and Prime Modi thatbegan with a hug — were in railways and fertilisers and space, with Russiaundertaking to train astronauts for India´s first crewed space mission in2022.
India´s decision to purchase the S-400 flies in the face of the UnitedStates imposing sanctions on countries buying Russian military hardware, ashappened with China last month.
US-Russia ties are plumbing depths not seen since the Cold War, plungingfurther still this week as Western powers accused Moscow of orchestrating abrazen string of global cyber attacks.
However, Washington is in a tricky position with India, seeking to bolsterties with the Asian giant to counter China´s growing assertiveness,something which has also rattled New Delhi.
Last year India and China had a military standoff over a Himalayan plateauclaimed by Beijing and Bhutan, a close ally of India.
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China has also perturbed India by loaning large amounts of money to IndianOcean countries where it has long held sway.
“It is also important for India to keep friendly relations with Russians sothat they don´t completely move into the Chinese camp,” said Manoj Joshifrom New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think-tank.
“Also, the fact is that unlike the US, Russian regional interests largelyoverlap with India´s regional policy,” he told AFP.
Washington and New Delhi announced plans last month for joint militarydrills in 2019, and agreed on the exchange of sensitive militaryinformation. The US is now India´s second-biggest arms supplier.
India therefore could expect to gain a sympathetic ear if it seeks a waiverfrom the US sanctions, but President Donald Trump´s administration hassignalled this is unlikely. – APP/AFP
