It's official, S-400 deal done

New Delhi: After months of walking the tight-rope, India on Friday inked a $5 billion deal to purchase the much-vaunted S-400 air defence system from Russia, amidst US warnings of punitive sanctions against nations doing “significant” business with Moscow.

The deal, signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit here, however, was underplayed by New Delhi, perhaps in a bid to keep its robust ties with Washington unblemished.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Putin, who held their annual summit, did not mention the S-400 deal in their respective press statements. Government officials also did not publicly announce the inking of the deal. However, official sources confirmed that it was signed — by a joint secretary-level official in the defence ministry from the Indian side.

In Washington, a state department spokesperson had said on Wednesday, “We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA,” when asked about India’s plan.

However, the US embassy spokesperson here while responding to a query said that the CAATSA was aimed at Moscow and not intended to damage the military capabilities of its “allies and partners.”