U.S Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, during his visit to New Delhi hinted Saturday that India's planned purchase of an advanced Russian S-400 missile system could trigger U.S. sanctions. "We certainly urge all our allies and partners to move away from Russian equipment " and really avoid any kind of acquisitions that would trigger sanctions on our behalf," Austin said.

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U.S Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, during his visit to New Delhi hinted Saturday that India's planned purchase of an advanced Russian S-400 missile system could trigger U.S. sanctions.

"We certainly urge all our allies and partners to move away from Russian equipment " and really avoid any kind of acquisitions that would trigger sanctions on our behalf," Austin said in response to a question from a reporter about India's plan to acquire the S-400.

However, he stressed that Russia has not yet delivered the equipment to New Delhi. While Austin did discuss the issue with his Indian counterpart, Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, the two did not discuss potential sanctions because India has not acquired the S-400 missiles yet, he said.

U.S. officials have said the S-400 cannot co-exist with U.S. equipment, as it can be used to collect intelligence on U.S. systems. They are particularly concerned about Russia using the S-400 to learn about the F-35 fighter jet's advanced capabilities.

Ahead of Austin's trip, Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asked him to raise democracy and human rights concerns in his talks with the Indian government, as well reaffirm the Biden administration's opposition to India's planned purchase of the Russian S-400 missiles.

"If India chooses to go forward with its purchase of the S-400, that act will clearly constitute a significant, and therefore sanctionable, transaction with the Russian defense sector under Section 231 of CAATSA," Menendez wrote in a recent letter to Austin, referring to the law called Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

"It will also limit India's ability to work with the US on development and procurement of sensitive military technology," Menendez continued. "I expect you to make all of these challenges clear in conversations with your Indian counterparts."

The United States last year imposed sanctions on Turkey for buying the S400 system.

India made an initial payment of $800 million in 2019 towards the Russian purchase and the first set of missile batteries are expected later this year.

"We discussed opportunities to elevate the U.S.-India major defense partnership ... and we'll do that through regional security cooperation and military to military interactions and defense trade," Austin said.

The United States has emerged as one of India's biggest arms sellers, and the two sides are also discussing India's plan to buy armed drones from the United States as well as a large order for over 150 combat jets for the air force and the navy to help narrow the gap with China, Reuters reported on Friday.

U.S. firms Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin are front runners for the multibillion-dollar combat jet deals.

US never considered India and China were on verge of war

Meanwhile, Austin also said that his country doesn't think that "India and China were at war". Speaking at a special briefing after holding talks with defense minister Rajnath Singh, Austin said the US will continue to work with "like-minded countries" to ensure to right things are done to maintain peace.

He was responding to a question about the standoff in Ladakh between the two countries, especially after the Galwan Valley clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in June last year.

"We are working with India, Australia and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure that freedom of navigation is maintained, and to keep the Indo-Pacific region free and open. There are a lot of capabilities in these countries," said Austin.

"Working with like-minded countries which have shared interest is the only way to check any aggression and we look forward to continue to do that in the future," he added.

Austin's visit to India is first by a top member of Biden's administration. His visit follows a meeting last week between leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the United States, which together make up the four Indo-Pacific nations known as the Quad.

The Quad is seen as a counterweight to China, who is seen flexing its military muscle in the South China Sea, East China Sea, Taiwan Strait and along its northern border with India.

China has called the Quad an attempt to contain its ambitions.

Surprisingly, a joint statement was issued after the members met last Friday but it made no mention of Chinathe very reason why the group supposedly exists. It contained the stock phrases directed against China: "a free, open rules-based order," "freedom of navigation and overflight," and collaboration "to meet challenges to the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas."

Apparently, the demand that China abide by the "international rules-based order" requires China to subordinate itself to the world order established after the end of World War II in which US was the dominant power and the rules were set in Washington.

Tellingly, the Global Times said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin started his visit to India on Friday with China on his mind, while observers noted that despite deepening security partnership, India will not downgrade as a US' appendage like Japan since New Delhi seeks major power autonomy.

Observers pointed out that the US wants to persuade India to join its chariot to encircle China with benefits in military equipment and intelligence sharing, but India seeks to be a major power politically, and their (US and India) strategic goals do not match.

Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Friday that India, hoping to be a great power politically with strong nationalist sentiments, will not be a US appendage like Japan or act like a striker for the US like Australia.

The China-India border clashes in 2020, which brought about casualties on both sides, pushed India toward the US, with Washington helping New Delhi by leasing surveillance drones and supplying cold-weather gear for Indian troops, the Global Times pointed out.

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Author of
Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality;
Islam in the Post-Cold War Era;
Islam & Modernism;
Islam & Muslims in the Post-9/11 America.
American Muslims in Politics.
Islam in the 21st Century: Challanges, conspiracies & Chaos
Muslim Word in the New Global Order
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