Three United States (US) senators from the Republican party have introduced a bill that will effectively restrict the implementation of sanctions by the President against members of the Quadrilateral Strategic Dialogue (Quad). The bill is largely in response to India, a key Quad ally, preparing to receive delivery of arms from Russia.
India is expecting the arrival of the S-400 Triumf missile defence system as a result of its $5.5 million deal with Russia. As per the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), 2017, the purchase should trigger sanctions against India. In fact, the US has already sanctioned Turkey for the purchase of the same equipment.
The legislation, titled the Circumspectly Reducing Unintended Consequences Impairing Alliances and Leadership (CRUCIAL) Act, 2021, was introduced as an amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Bill. It requires the US President to mandatorily seek the approval of an “appropriate congressional committee” before imposing CAATSA sanctions against Quad allies, including India, Japan, and Australia. If passed, the law would be applicable for ten years.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who sponsored the Amendment, said the imposition of sanctions against India would “undo” the progress made by the two countries. He also highlighted the threat posed by Chinese aggression, which has forced India to become increasingly dependent on Russia.
Cruz also highlighted the “central” position held by India in the Quad. He said India was the “only Quad member that shares a border with China [and] the only Quad member that has lost soldiers in combat with China.” Nevertheless, Cruz conceded India ought to decrease its reliance on Russia and further deepen its relations with other Quad members instead.
The Bill comes just days after two American senators and co-chairs of the Committee on the Indian Caucus, John Cornyn (R-TX) and Mark Warner (D-VA), wrote a letter with a similar warning to President Joe Biden. They said: “We strongly encourage you to grant a CAATSA waiver to India for its planned purchase of the S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system. In cases where granting a waiver would advance the national security interests of the US, this waiver authority, as written into the law by Congress, allows the President additional discretion in applying sanctions.” Like Cruz, however, the senators also said the government should continue to work towards reducing the Indian side’s dependence on Russia.
India, which is currently caught in border conflicts with two of its neighbours, China and Pakistan, has been cutting its reliance on Russian weapons. From 2016 to 2020, there has been a 53% drop in Russian arms exports to India. On the other hand, its defence ties with the US have increased, with arms sales hitting $3.4 billion in 2020.
US Senators Advise Against Sanctions on India Over Russian Arms Deal
Three American senators wrote to US President Joe Biden advising him against imposing sanctions against India for its arms deal with Russia.
November 3, 2021
US President Joe Biden SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS