India signs $5 billion deal for Russian air defense systems
Associated PressNEW DELHI — India signed a $5 billion deal to buy five Russian S-400 air defense systems on Friday despite a looming threat of U.S. sanctions on countries that trade with Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors. Our recent action to sanction a Chinese government entity for an S-400 delivery underscores the seriousness of our resolve on this issue.” Officials with India’s external affairs and defense ministries confirmed the deal was signed after Putin and Modi made no reference to it during a news conference following their talks. An 11-page joint statement made only passing mention, saying that “the two sides welcomed the conclusion of the contract.” The deal will likely bolster the close relationship between India and Russia that dates back to the Cold War, when the U.S. tilted toward Pakistan, India’s neighbor and archrival. India has signed more than $15 billion in U.S. defense contracts since 2008, including for C-130J and C-17 transport aircraft, P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, Harpoon missiles and Apache and Chinook helicopters.