What is India taking from Russia, which America said is dangerous

Posted on 7th Oct 2021 by rohit kumar

Russia has been a traditional ally of India. India and Russia have had a relationship of trust since the time of the Soviet Union.

 

On the other hand, the security partnership between the US and India has grown in the last 15 years. But will India be able to maintain equal relations with both countries?

 

The rivalry between Russia and America also dates back to Soviet times. In such a situation, a situation of religious crisis arises in front of India, with whom it should have so much relationship. But it has no scale in international politics.

 

In terms of military equipment, India still buys more than 80 percent of its goods from Russia. But in recent years Israel and the US have also emerged as defense partners for India. This is going to be uncomfortable for Russia.

 

Russia had raised strong objections when India joined the Quad bloc along with Japan, America, and Australia to deal with the challenge of China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean.

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had said, "The West wants to restore a unipolar world. But Russia and China are less likely to subdue it. India is still following the anti-China policy of Western countries like the so-called Quad in the Indo-Pacific region." A pawn is made."

 

It can be understood from this statement of Russia that India's increasing proximity to America is going to bother her.

 

America called India's deal with Russia dangerous

Now the US has expressed its unease about the deal with Russia for the S-400 missile system. Deputy Foreign Minister Wendy Sherman, who is visiting India, has called this deal with Russia dangerous.

 

The US has imposed sanctions on Turkey over this defense deal. The same threat is looming over India as well. Wendy Sherman has expressed hope that both sides will resolve the issue.

 

According to news agency PTI, Wendy Sherman said, "Any country that has decided to use the S-400, our policy is clear and public. We believe it is dangerous and it is in the security interest of anyone." We have a strong partnership with India and we want to solve the problems through dialogue. Hopefully, this too will be resolved through dialogue."

 

According to the English newspaper The Hindu, Sherman has also raised the issue with India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Apart from this, he had also expressed concern to India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla about this deal with Russia.

 

America Offensive

Wendy Sherman's remarks came after Indian Air Force Chief VR Choudhary confirmed that the $5.43 billion S-400 missile system deal was signed in 2018 and will be first implemented by the Army by the end of this year. will be included in.

 

America has always been strict about this deal with Russia. This is not only with India, but America did the same with Turkey. Rather, it took a more strict stance with Turkey.

 

In 2019, for this reason, the US canceled the deal for F-35 fighter aircraft with Turkey. Apart from this, he also imposed travel and economic sanctions on Turkey. Now India is also facing the threat of US sanctions due to the agreement with Russia.

 

However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made it clear that the US cannot decide its bilateral relations on its own.

 

Erdogan appears to be committed to procuring the second batch of S-400s from Russia. Erdogan is working on a plan to buy more S-400 missile systems from Russia and this is troubling for the Biden administration.

 

However, no such statement has come from India yet.

 

Defense Cooperation between Russia and India

 

In 2018, India signed a deal to buy five S-400 missile systems from Russia. The S-400 is Russia's most advanced missile system. It is compared to America's best air defense system Patriot missile.

 

This is the same missile system, for which the Trump administration banned Turkey in December 2020 for making a deal. It is being said that now it is India's turn.

 

If the US imposes sanctions, the bilateral relations between the two countries will be badly affected. There is also talk of a setback to America's campaign, in which India is being seen as an ally to fight China's challenge.

 

The ban is not because of India but because of Russia. The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) was passed in 2017 to punish Russia for interfering in the 2016 US presidential election.

 

Under this, there is a provision to ban any country that buys military equipment from Russia. But it is also being said that if the Biden administration imposed a ban on India, it would be a big mistake for America.

 

Scholar Salvatore Babones of the Center for Independent Studies in Sydney wrote in the American magazine Foreign Policy on February 16 this year that the US should welcome India's deal.

 

Salvatore Babonese has written in his article, "America will need India more than India when it comes to confronting China across Eurasia. America is an important defense partner for India but is far away and Not reliable. On the other hand, India is the only friend in this area for America who wants to challenge China and can do so. If America wants to solve the smoldering conflicts, then it will have to show patience with the sanctions in India's case "

 

India's defense deal with Russia is not limited to the S-400. Its list is very long. India has been doing arms deals since the time of the Soviet Union.

 

The Indian Air Force flies Russia's MiG-29 and Sukhoi-30. The Indian Navy also has Russian jets and ships. India has also ordered nuclear-powered submarines from Russia.

 

India and Russia trust

India deals with Russia because Russia is a reliable commercial supplier and has good quality. India is now also buying military equipment from France, Israel, and the US.

 

Experts say that India cannot end defense cooperation with Russia due to CAATSA. Experts also say that neither the US nor its allies are at risk from the S-400.

 

India is the biggest buyer of military equipment for Russia. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia sold a third of its arms exports to India from 2010 to 2019.

 

Earlier China was a big buyer but now it is engaged in developing its technology. The defense deal between China and Russia was hit in 2019 when Russia said that China was stealing its technology. Since then, Russia has been reluctant about a defense deal with China.