As India Seeks Putin's Weapons, Why US May Look Away This Time
NDTV
Vladimir Putin is making his first foreign trip in nearly six months for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
President Vladimir Putin will visit New Delhi on Monday as billions of dollars of Russian weaponry flow into India that would normally attract US sanctions. Eager to draw India into its efforts to contain China, the US may look away this time.
Putin is making his first foreign trip in nearly six months for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as India takes delivery of Russia's S-400 advanced missile-defense system that's part of a $5 billion weapons deal. A similar purchase by NATO ally Turkey prompted the US to ban Ankara from its advanced F-35 fighter jet program.
"It looks like Washington turned a blind eye for now since Indian support in the Asia-Pacific region is extremely important for the US," said Ruslan Pukhov, a member of the Russian Defense Ministry's public advisory board. "India sent a strong message to the US that it would not tolerate American sanctions."
India is part of the Quad group with the US, Japan and Australia that is shaping up as a bulwark against China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Even as US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization tensions with the Kremlin are running high over a Russian build-up of forces near Ukraine, India is betting President Joe Biden's focus on China will allow it to press on with defense purchases from Moscow.
