India should be with us in facing China, no US sanctions against India in name of S-400 missile deal with Russia, approval for crucial amendment

NEW DELHI: It has is almost sure that there will be no US sanctions against India for its purchase of S-400 missile from Russia. The United States House of Representatives approved an amendment to the National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) that would pave the way for relief from sanctions. On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved the amendment of Ro Khanna, a Congress member of Indian origin. The amendment was passed by voice vote.

The United States had previously moved to impose sanctions with a Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Along with the purchase of an air defence system, India's abstention on Wednesday from a UN vote against Russia's invasion of Ukraine angered the United States. With this, the concern that sanctions may be imposed strengthened. CAATSA is a tough US law that authorises the US administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.

Ro Khanna said that with the approval of the amendment, the defence partnership between the United States and India will be strengthened further. ‘America should stand with India in face of increasing attacks from China. I am working to strengthen the partnership between the countries and ensure that India can defend itself on the India-China border,’ Khanna said. He added that India relies on Russian-made weapons for its national defence and that the United States should take further steps to encourage India's transition off Russian-made weapons and defence systems while strongly supporting India's immediate defence needs.