iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
A top Republican US Senator has warned the Biden admin that it would unwise decision to impose any sanctions on due to India’s stance in the Russia-Ukraine war.
During a hearing on pending nominations by the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ted Cruz said that India is a critical ally of the US and it would be “extraordinarily foolhardy” to impose any sanctions on New Delhi under the punitive CAATSA law for its purchase of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia.
India cannot always play to the tunes of its American counterparts, as it has different interests and priorities when it comes to protecting it borders. And it cannot always rely on the US to come for its safety.
The US administration is required under 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.
“There are reports that the Biden administration is contemplating imposing CAATSA sanctions against India, the largest democracy on Earth, a decision that I think would be extraordinarily foolhardy,”
Cruz, who represents the State of Texas in the United States Senate, said that over the last one week, the bilateral relationship between India and the United States had deteriorated under the Biden administration.
“India is a critical ally across a number of areas, and the US-India alliance has broadened and deepened in recent years. But under the Biden administration, it’s gone backwards,” Cruz said.
“India is not the only country to have voted against us, and against condemning Russia,” he said, in reference to India’s abstention in the UN General Assembly votes condemning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
“India is not the only country to have voted against us, and against condemning Russia,” he said, in reference to India’s abstention in the UN General Assembly votes condemning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
A total of 141 nations voted in favor of the move condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and five nations were against it, with 35 countries, including India, abstaining. The UNGA resolution was similar to the one circulated earlier in the 15-nation Security Council on which India also had abstained.
The UNSC resolution, which received 11 votes in favor and three abstentions, was blocked after permanent member Russia exercised its veto.
“The United Arab Emirates also abstained in yesterday’s vote. The UAE is a close ally of the United States, and during the Trump administration, was a critical player in the Abraham Accords that fundamentally transformed the entire Middle East, and brought Israelis and Arabs together under American leadership,” Cruz said.
It a different hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said that in the past year under the Biden administration, the US relations with India have worsened significantly.
This was manifested among other things in their latest abstention at the United Nations, he told Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu.
“I will acknowledge that India and the United States have not voted the same at the United Nations over this past week. I assure you that we continue to have an important dialogue with India at the highest levels to try to narrow that gap and to help India to see the importance that we place on a coordinated message to Moscow,” Lu said.
