Whose Triumf is it going to be? Will Putin get his $5 billion?
The main focus will be how India will navigate the challenge posed by a fresh warning by Washington, a day before the Putin visit.
New Delhi/Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hosted a one-on-one dinner with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, within hours of his arrival here Thursday on a two-day visit to hold the annual bilateral summit with India where PM Modi will be tested on his diplomatic tightrope walking - he must balance Delhi's "special" strategic partnership with Moscow and its much newer partnership with Washington. The main focus will be how India will navigate the challenge posed by a fresh warning by Washington, a day before the Putin visit.
"We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA," a State Department Spokesperson said on Wednesday when asked about India's plan to purchase the multi-billion S-400 missile defense system from Russia, which is being seen as a measure to counter China's growing military arsenal. Putin, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation, was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at Palam airport ahead of the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit on Friday where Modi and Putin will review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors.
The two leaders will deliberate on US sanctions on the import of Iranian crude oil. But all eyes will be on the agreement where India clears the acquisition of the S-400 Triumf air defence missile system and four stealth frigates, with a top Kremlin aide saying Tuesday that Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal. The purchase will violate U.S. sanctions under CAASTA , Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act.
The United States has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy from Moscow would be a “focus area” for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking “significant” business deals with the Russians.
The American administration is required under a domestic law — Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act or CAATSA — to impose sanctions on any country that has “significant transactions” with Iran, North Korea or Russia. The CAATSA primarily deals with sanctions on Russian interests such as its oil and gas industry, defence and security sector, and financial institutions, in the backdrop of its military intervention in Ukraine and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US Presidential elections.
