No waivers to India: US

​Washington: The Pentagon has ruled out an automatic waiver for India from the punitive US sanctions over its weapons purchase from Russia, saying Washington has concerns over the nearly USD 5 billion missile defence system deal, ahead of the first 2+2 dialogue in New Delhi next week. 

The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) waiver is intended at preventing US sanctions on countries like India. India is planning to buy five S-400 Triumf missile air defence systems from Russia for around USD 4.5 billion. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has publicly been a strong proponent of granting India waivers from sanctions. 

Randall G Schriver, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, said: "I can't sit here and tell you today that a (CAATSA) waiver would necessarily be used. It would be a topic discussed at the highest level of our government and they would make some determination". "We understand the historical India-Russia relationship. 

We want to have a conversation with India not on legacy, but on future. On CAATSA, Mattis did plea for an exception for India, but I can't guarantee a waiver will be used for future purchases. "Russia is not a country you want to have a strategic partnership," Schriver told a Washington audience.