Indian Foreign Minister Defends Country's Right To Buy Russian Arms Despite US Criticism

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st October, 2019) The United States, as well as any other nation, has no right to tell India whether it may buy Russian military equipment or not, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Tuesday, commenting on purchasing Russia's S-400 air defense missile systems.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said in September that Russia was going to deliver the S-400 air defense systems to India within 18-19 months, noting that the $5.43 billion contract, signed in October 2018, had already been prepaid.

"We would not like any state to tell us what to buy or not to buy from Russia any more than we would like any state to tell us to buy or not buy from America," Jaishankar told reporters ahead of his meeting with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo, as quoted by NDTV broadcaster.

Making decisions on purchasing military equipment and choosing providers has always been India's sovereign right, the minister stressed.

"That freedom of choice is ours and we think it's in everybody's interest to recognize that," Jaishankar added.

Washington has repeatedly criticized India's defense cooperation with Russia, since it sees the country as its major partner in Southern Asia. The United States even made an attempt in 2018 to prevent India from reaching the deal with Russia on purchasing the S-400s, threatening the country with sanctions. Meanwhile, India has repeatedly stressed that it sees unilateral restrictions as illegitimate.