TSAMTO, July 18. The House of Representatives of the US Congress has approved an amendment exempting India from sanctions for the acquisition of Russian C-400 air defense systems, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Turkish edition Haber7.
"If the bill is approved in the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden, the restrictions against New Delhi will not apply," the publication says.
This decision caused a negative reaction in Turkey. According to the author of the article, Erkan Talu, Washington has demonstrated a policy of "double standards", since sanctions imposed under similar circumstances are in effect against Ankara.
"The amendments were approved in order to keep India on its side in opposition to China," the observer believes.
As RIA Novosti reminds, in October 2018, India signed a contract with Russia for the supply of S-400, becoming the third foreign buyer of these complexes after China and Turkey. The Pentagon regarded this as a violation of sanctions against Russian weapons. But then the United States changed its position – as experts believe, because of the threat of retaliatory sanctions from New Delhi, which could seriously affect American interests.
In turn, Turkey has agreed to purchase Russian air defense systems in 2017. The deal led to a crisis in relations with the United States: Washington demanded to purchase American Patriot complexes, threatening to impose sanctions, and then canceled the sale of the latest F-35 fighter jets to Ankara.
The Turkish authorities stated that they were not going to abandon the S-400. Moreover, they plan to purchase a second regimental kit, as provided for by the option to the basic contract. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the S-400 air defense system "a very important defense system" and stressed that supplies from Russia are an internal matter of Turkey.
