New Delhi, March 03, 2022 (PPI-OT):Russia has said that it does not see any hurdle in the supply of the S-400 missile systems to India because of sanctions imposed by the West following the Ukraine crisis.
Denis Alipov, Russian Envoy-designate to India, while addressing a news conference on the impact of sanctions in defense deal with India said, “We don’t foresee any obstacles as far as S-400 supply to India is concerned; we have routes to continue with this deal unobstructed. Sanctions, old or new, do not interfere in any way.”
In 2018, India and Russia signed a $5.5 billion contract for the S-400 air defense system, putting New Delhi at risk of US sanctions. The US has long tried to deter countries from buying military equipment from Russia, threatening them with punitive measures under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which it has used against Turkiye, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
Despite Washington’s warnings, New Delhi moved forward with the purchase, arguing that it has strategic connections with both Russia and the US.
Alipov also said that Russia is highly grateful to India for its balanced approach to the United Nations as it fully understands the depth of the Ukrainian crisis.
“We are strategic allies with India. We are grateful to India for its balanced position displayed at the UN. India understands the depth of this crisis,” Denis said Alipov.
The Russian envoy also said that they “are working intensely on creating corridor and safe passage for Indians stuck in conflict zones in Ukraine.”
“We are in touch with India on the safety of Indians in Kharkiv, Sumy and other conflict zones in Ukraine,” he added.
Meanwhile, The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday said that it will not be significantly impacted by the US’s sanctions on Russia. Vice Chief Air Marshal Sandeep Singh said: “We know the geopolitical situation is difficult (currently). Our relations with Russia will continue.”
Political analysts have decried the West’s attitude of dealing Pakistan and India differently when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The analysts said that the West has kept a blind eye to the monstrous S-400 Russia-India deal while is raising unnecessary hue and cry over Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s long scheduled visit to Moscow and hearsay about a wheat import deal.
The analysts particularly cited the story of the UK-based newspaper Independent captioned “Imran Khan strikes huge trade deal with Russia despite international outcry over war” and said that the Pakistani PM did not make mistake by paying a scheduled visit to Russia. They said that the newspaper’s story was blown out of proportion. “Whether the alleged import of two million tons of wheat from Russia is worthy of discussion or $ 5 billion S-400 deal by India with Russia,” they questioned.
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