WASHINGTON: The US has not yet made any decision on potential sanctions or waivers to India under CATSAA law for its purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
The US administration is required under its domestic law, Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) to impose sanctions on any country that has significant transactions with Iran, North Korea or Russia.
CAATSA is a tough US law that authorises the administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.
"We continue to urge all countries to avoid major new transactions for Russian weapons systems, particularly in light of what Russia is doing to Ukraine. We've not yet made a determination on potential sanctions or potential waivers under the CATSAA law," Blinken said.
Blinken's comments came during a joint news conference with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin along with their Indian counterparts --External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after the 2+2 Ministerial here on Monday.
He was responding to a question on India purchasing the S-400 missile system from Russia.
In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the then Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.
The US has already imposed sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.
Following the US sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there were apprehensions that Washington may impose similar punitive measures on India.
Russia has been one of India's key major suppliers of arms and ammunition.
Blinken noted that there is a long history and a long relationship between India and Russia, including when it comes to military equipment.
"That relationship took hold many years ago at a time when, as I said, we were not able to be a partner to India," he said.
"We are now both able and willing to be such a partner, to be a security partner of choice for India. That's one of the areas that we discussed in some detail today," he said.
The White House echoed Blinken's view earlier in the day.
"In terms of military actions: So we have not made a decision about the waiver under CAATSA. In terms of how much it was discussed during the call, I'd have to get more details from our national security team on that specifically," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in response to a question.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters that the US has a strong defence partnership with India.
"We are going to continue to look for ways to deepen that defence partnership. India is an important partner in the region, in the Indo-Pacific region, and we're going to continue to look for ways to improve that partnership," he said.
"And India should be able to speak for their own national policies with respect to what's going on in Russia and Ukraine. We've been very honest about where we are on this and the actions we're taking and the things that we're doing, but the other things that we're doing are looking for ways to make sure we deepen that partnership with India,
he said at his news conference at the Pentagon.
The Biden administration has reaffirmed its commitment to support India's permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council and New Delhi's entry to the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.
The US also praised India for its significant contributions as a member of the 15-membered apex decision making body of the UN.
In a joint statement issued at the conclusion of the India-US 2+2 ministerial here, the United States congratulated India for its significant contributions as a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2021-2022.
In this context, the US expressed its appreciation for India's leadership as the Chair of the three committees of the Security Council: the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee, the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee and the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee, it said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar led the Indian delegation for 2+2, while the US side was represented by Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Tony Blinken.
"The Ministers reiterated their commitment to work together in close coordination at the UNSC and in international organisations. The US reaffirmed its continued support for India's permanent membership in a reformed UNSC and for India's entry to the Nuclear Suppliers' Group," said the joint statement.
Considering growing national security threats from both state and non-state malicious cyber actors, the ministers recognised the importance of an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable Internet and stable cyberspace, it said.
On December 2, India said it continues to engage with members of the NSG for support for an early decision on the country's bid for membership of the grouping.
The 48-member NSG is an elite club of countries that deals with the trade-in nuclear technology and fissile materials besides contributing to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
China, one of the five nuclear-weapon states, stridently opposes India's NSG bid primarily on the grounds that New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Its opposition has made India's entry into the group difficult as the NSG works on the principle of consensus.
According to the joint statement, both sides reaffirmed the 2021 reports of the UN Open-Ended Working Group and the UN Group of Governmental Experts, which articulate a framework of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace and committed to working together in the future multilateral negotiations to encourage States to implement the framework.
They confirmed their intent to work closely as part of ongoing efforts to counter the use of information communications technologies for criminal purposes.
Acknowledging India's distinguished history of leading peacekeeping missions, the United States welcomed India's commitment to participate in multilateral peacekeeping training in 2022, expand joint-capacity building efforts with third-country partners, and launch a new joint National Investigation Officers Training of Trainers course in partnership with the United Nations.
The four ministers called on the Taliban to abide by UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021), which demands that Afghan territory must never again be used to threaten or attack any country or shelter or train terrorists or plan or finance terrorist attacks.
They urged the Taliban to adhere to these and all other commitments; respect the human rights of all Afghans, including women, children, and members of minority groups; and uphold freedom of travel.
They also emphasised the importance of an inclusive Afghan government and unhindered access for the United Nations and its implementing partners to deliver humanitarian assistance.
They recommitted to close consultations on Afghanistan to help facilitate an inclusive and peaceful future for all Afghans.
Calling for the cessation of violence in Myanmar, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, and a swift return to the path of democracy and inclusive governance, the ministers also called for urgent implementation of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus.