‘India Will Soon Find Out About CAATSA Sanctions’: Trump Reacts To Russian Deal For Procuring Air Defence Systems

United States President Donald Trump on the issue of whether US will waiver India from its stringent CAATSA sanctions has said that, India “will soon found out” what action will he take, The New Indian Express has reported.

India had last week signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to procure S-400 air defence systems which will boost its defence capability.

Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) gives authority to the US President to waiver sanctions on a particular country that is doing financial transactions with the countries which are included in the CAATSA.

US has imposed sanctions on Russia during the Ukrainian crisis in 2014, and has continued them until now.

Trump was interacting with reporters in the oval office of the White House. When asked if CAATSA sanctions would apply to India he said, “India’s gonna find out. Aren’t they?”.

“You’ll see. Sooner than you think,” he replied when asked about when will India find out.

The White House had said last week that the waiver is intended to “wean” countries off Russian equipment.

"The (CAATSA presidential) waiver is narrow, intended to wean countries off Russian equipment and allow for things such as spare parts for previously-purchased equipment," said a White House spokesperson.

US embassy in India had said that CAATSA was not intended to damage the military capabilities of its allies.