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A $500 million navy support bundle would reportedly be aimed toward ‘weaning’ India off of Russia
US President Joe Biden’s administration intends to woo India into slowing down its protection cooperation with Russia by providing New Delhi a navy help bundle that might be value as a lot as $500 million, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing nameless sources.
Russia has lengthy been a significant supplier of arms to India, particularly the extra complicated weapons techniques like fighter jets and assault submarines. Since a minimum of the 2000s, it has been the highest vendor of weapons to India, except for final yr, when France took the lead. The US, Israel, and the UK are additionally among the many main provides.
India has a coverage of reducing its dependence on overseas provides by creating the home protection sector and has additionally diversified arms imports up to now years, however Moscow stays its key associate, assembly virtually half of India’s wants within the final 5 years.
In line with Bloomberg, Washington hopes the help will assist draw India away from Russia and nearer to the US.
The report comes forward of subsequent week’s summit of leaders of the Quad – a four-party Indo-Pacific safety mechanism – which additionally contains the US, Japan, and Australia. Washington perceives it as a key part for opposing China, one other Asian powerhouse, with which India has a long-standing rivalry.
Like many different non-Western nations, India refused to hitch the US-led marketing campaign to punish Russia for its navy operation towards Ukraine. Moderately than sacrificing its financial pursuits by heaping sanctions on Moscow the way in which nearly all of European international locations did, New Delhi has been shopping for extra Russian crude at a considerably discounted worth.
Whereas Western nations voiced displeasure with the shortage of assist for his or her Russia insurance policies, they stopped wanting concentrating on India with any retaliation. The identical was true earlier than the battle in Ukraine.
Washington didn’t impose sanctions towards India for buying superior Russian S-400 air protection techniques. This contrasted with its therapy of China and even NATO ally Turkey, which had been each hit with sanctions for purchasing the identical weapons.
Bloomberg sources wouldn’t say when and if the help deal could be introduced and what arms India would obtain from the US. The report implied that French weapons could also be a part of it along with American merchandise. If the bundle quantities to the sum urged by the sources, India would develop into one of many greatest recipients of US navy support, behind Ukraine, Israel, and Egypt.
When requested by the information outlet, nonetheless, neither American nor Indian officers would touch upon the discussions.
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