Meeting The American Arm Twisting To Protect The Affair With Russia

The United States wants to scuttle India’s burgeoning defence ties with Russia via the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. However, India has a number of options to avoid its punitive sections and use the opportunity to fast-track indigenisation and become immune to such blackmail, argues.

- Rakesh Krishnan Simha

In its endless obsession to bring the Russian economy to its knees, the United States has deployed its latest weapon. CAATSA – or the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act – allows the US to punish Moscow’s military partners on the basis that their business dealings violate American law. As the largest user and buyer of Russian weapons, India is vulnerable to Section 231 of the new law, which imposes sanctions on individuals and countries that deal with Russia’s intelligence and defence sectors.

Because CAATSA is a United States law that prevents global free trade, it is patently illegal and can be challenged. Nevertheless, if enforced it could choke the supply of weapons from Russia and blow a gaping hole in India’s warfighting capability. It will also earn India considerable hostility in Moscow and drive the Russians closer to Pakistan and China, creating a different set of complications.

Secondly, any American interference in India’s fiercely-independent defence procurement policies will create a backlash in India and torpedo the growing strategic and defence partnership between New Delhi and Washington.

India could thus end up in a Catch-22 situation in which it loses whether the country abides by CAATSA or not. The sanctions include blocking of licences and permissions for a US entity to export a significantly large number of items to India. The restrictions on this front would include any arms sale or the transfer of nuclear equipment or technology.

What’s at stake?