Why US will be ill-advised to sanction India over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defence system
US India share values of democracy, free trade, liberal entrepreneurship, human rights, peaceful change of elected governments, fight against terrorism.
American security and defense needs are coinciding with India’s concerns. India is a direct victim of Jihad sponsored by Pakistan, ISIS, Al Qaeda, while America is fighting the same elements from South Asia to the Middle East and across the world.
The Rise of China and threat to freedom of navigation, usurping land, air space, water, forcing drought on riparian states, debt trap diplomacy and change of borders unilaterally, have made both India and America see the world in the same light in defence of democracy.
The cutting-edge S-400 system is superior to the patriot air defence system in all aspects and India has to cater to its own pressing needs.
– Long standing US-India ties and growing US-India defence deals worth billions of dollars cannot be risked over a strategically important deal with Russia.
It is for India to decide what weapons it needs and how it safeguards its 1.3 Billion people. The US should not see India from its own vision of Russia but be sympathetic to its own needs.
