President Vladimir Putin will visit New Delhi on Monday as billions of dollars of Russian weaponry flow into India that would normally attract U.S. sanctions. Eager to draw India into its efforts to contain China, the U.S. may look away this time.
Putin is making his first foreign trip in nearly six months for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as India takes delivery of Russia’s S-400 advanced missile-defense system that’s part of a $5 billion weapons deal. A similar purchase by NATO ally Turkey prompted the U.S. to ban Ankara from its advanced F-35 fighter jet program.
"It looks like Washington turned a blind eye for now since Indian support in the Asia-Pacific region is extremely important for the U.S.,” said Ruslan Pukhov, a member of the Russian Defense Ministry’s public advisory board. "India sent a strong message to the U.S. that it would not tolerate American sanctions.”
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