India signs 5bn dollars deal to purchase Russian S-400 missile system
India has signed a 5 billion dollars deal to buy a Russian S-400 air defense system despite the looming threat of sanctions by the United States on countries that trade with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed the deal in New Delhi on Friday and discussed nuclear energy, space exploration and economics.
The two leaders are expected to ink nearly 20 bilateral agreements in areas such as defense, nuclear energy, space exploration and trade.
The Kremlin said the 5 billion dollars missile deal was a "key feature" of the agreements. Officials confirmed the deal was signed after Putin and Modi made no reference to it during a news conference following their talks.
India has requested a waiver from US sanctions intended to punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea and alleged interference in the 2016 US elections.
However, it is unlikely sanctions will be waived.
India's PTI news agency quoted a US State Department spokesperson as saying the "S-400 air and missile defense system" would be a particular focus for the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
CAATSA was passed to sanction any country that trades with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors.
The US did not spare China from sanctions last month when it purchased the S-400 systems and fighter jets.
Source: Aljazeera
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