Till arrival of Vladimir Putin in New Delhi on 05 th October, every day someone or the other was ROARING, Barking or Shouting ………..C…A…A…T…S…A. Now after India signed the agreement for much needed and well negotiated S400 Missile systems, suddenly there has been pin drop silence.
While India was still negotiating to sign several big-ticket defence deals with Russia, several self appointed World Sheriffs from Washington had even warned India. Now the flunkies of those Sheriffs with their trousers sort of pulled down are whimpering that even if India manages to get a one-time waiver from the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) law, it cannot expect a ‘free ticket.—It is a public law [CAATSA].
What triggers sanctions is the transfer of funding and not when the deal is signed. India is optimistic of a waiver and they can be optimistic once. but it cannot be a free ticket.’
India and Russia two Sovereign Countries just ignored the pesky barking and concluded the missile defence deals worth Rs 50000 crores for five S-400 air defence systems. Though deals for four stealth frigates and Ak-103 assault rifles still remains under negotiation, mainly because they are not that critical and the pricing has to be mutually acceptable.
Trump and his boys should know that white house and Capitol Hill and whatever ekse may keep churning out various laws but they are applicable to USA only and may be Grenada and Panama. No outside law is permitted to enter India, not even with a Visa.
The Trump administration blindly passed the american CAATSA law under which sanctions are to be imposed on counties having significant defence cooperation with Russia. in an attempt to curb Russia’s arms. They forgot that India and China too have their own dealings with Russia. Both the countries are buying arms from Russia as usual.
A sensible U.S. Secretary of Defence Jam Mattis had made a serious push for a built in waiver as a face saving device but President Donald Trump did not care. Now Several U.S. officials are calling the S-400. which several U.S. allies too are in the process of acquiring. a ‘significant transaction.’
As late as Wednesday a U.S. State Department spokesperson had indicated in Washington that the waiver provisions may not apply to India in this deal. “There are strict criteria for considering a waiver. The waiver is narrow. intended to wean countries off Russian equipment and avow for things such as spare parts for previously-purchased equipment.’ the official said.
Now US will either eat crow and become a laughing stock or shoot itself again in the foot by Trump trumpeting some sanctions on India also. India will just ignore those sanctions or may in retaliation impose a few sanction of its own publicly or just quietly to put some sense into Washington.
