US Prez Biden Will Decide Whether To Apply Or Waive Sanctions On India Over CAATSA, Says Senior Official

Biden administration is yet to decide on applying sanctions on India under CAATSA, a tough US law that authorises it to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia.

File Photo: PTI

 New Delhi: US President Joe Biden will decide whether to apply or waive sanctions on India under the CAATSA law for its purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Responding to a question on possible sanctions on India, Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism that it was for President Biden to decide whether to apply or waive sanctions on India, news agency PTI reported.

Under Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), the US administration is required to impose sanctions on any country that has significant transactions with Iran, North Korea or Russia.

CAATSA is a tough US law that authorises the administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia. This is in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.

Responding to a question on possible CAATSA sanctions on India, Donald Lu said: "I can assure you that the administration will follow the CAATSA law and fully implement that law and will consult with Congress as we move forward with any of them. What unfortunately I am not able to say is to prejudge the decisions of the President or the (Secretary of State) on the waiver issue or on the sanctions issue, or whether Russia's invasion of Ukraine will bear on that decision."

Lu added that the Biden administration is yet to decide on applying sanctions on India under CAATSA, PTI reported

"India is a really important security partner of ours now. And that we value moving forward that partnership and I hope that part of what happens with the extreme criticism that Russia has faced is that India will find it's now time to further distances," he stated.

The senior American diplomat mentioned that it is going to be very hard for any country to buy major weapon systems from Russia because of the sweeping sanctions now placed on Russian banks.

"What we've seen from India in just the last few weeks, is the cancellation of MiG 29 orders, Russian helicopter orders and anti-tank weapon orders," he stated, as reported by PTI.

The remarks came as US lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, criticised India for choosing to abstain from a UN vote on Wednesday to rebuke Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A total of 141 nations voted in favour of the move condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and five nations were against it while 35 countries, including India, abstained.

The UNGA resolution was similar to the one circulated in the 15-nation Security Council last Friday, on which also India had abstained. 

The UNSC resolution, which received 11 votes in favour and three abstentions, was blocked after permanent member Russia exercised its veto.

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. The agreement was reached despite a warning from the then Trump administration which said that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.

Russia has been one of India's major suppliers of arms and ammunition.

Previously, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.

After the US sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there were apprehensions that Washington may impose similar punitive measures on India.

(With Agency Inputs)