A top Republic Senator has urged the Biden administration to give CAATSA waiver to India, saying that any plan to impose sanctions on New Delhi for purchasing Russian made S-400 missile defence system would undermine its relationship with the US and also affect the Quad’s ability to counter China.
Senator Todd Young, a key member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote in the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine that if the Joe Biden administration imposes sanctions on India, it would not deter New Delhi’s purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia, but would weaken two strategic fronts at a critical time, first undermine Washington’s relationship with India and second would also affect Quad’s ability to counter China.
“Moreover, Russia could take advantage of the sanctions to reclaim its role as India’s military partner of choice. Paradoxically then, sanctioning New Delhi over its Russian-made defence system would actually prove to be a geostrategic victory for Moscow,” Young wrote.
Young said that in recent weeks, the Democratic chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Bob Menendez has called for India to be threatened with sanctions under Sectio 231 of the CAATSA if it moves forward with the purchase of the Russian missile system.
