India: Under US Pressure

It certainly looks as if India was not as securely in Usreael’s pocket as had been commonly presented.

An anonymous commenter tipped me off to still more behaviour that needs to be “corrected” on the part of India

AnonymousMarch 8, 2019 at 1:54 AMJust to add to reasons why the US is pressuring India, under Modi, the country signed a deal with Russia to secure deliveries of the S-400. India also signed a deal for a third nuclear sub to be leased from Russia. The two agreed that the systems would be paid for with their respective national currencies.S-400 link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-to-receive-s-40… link: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/india-russia-nuclear-submari…, Turkey has doubled down on their S-400 deal with Russia and have expressed interest in the S-500.Link: http://tass.com/defense/1047771

The S-400 deal had been mentioned in a previous post. However let's look at the sub deal India has JUST signed with Russia. From the link above:

Undeterred by the possible US sanctions, India, on Thursday, inked a $3 billion deal with Russia to lease a third nuclear-powered attack submarine- Akula class.

File image Chakra subCheck anonymous’s link and then read another article below- Straitstimes"India has signed a US$3 billion (S$4.08 billion) deal to lease a third Russian nuclear-powered submarine for 10 years, giving Delhi a boost in the Indian OceanA defence ministry spokesman declined to confirm the agreement to AFP but the reports said that the submarine, the third India has leased from Russia, would be delivered by 2025.

Russia, India's Cold War ally, remains a major supplier of arms to India, irking the United States which has imposed sanctions on nations buying military hardware from Moscow.Last October Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met and inked a deal for Delhi to buy Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system for US$5.2 billion."

Today anonymous brings updated news on the Indian purchases of Venezuelan oil. Keep in mind: “John Bolton has issued a warning to India against buying Venezuelan oil, saying it "will not be forgotten"

AnonymousMarch 11, 2019 at 12:41 PMLooks like the mask has come off now. Elliot Abrams is now demanding India hand over its sovereign right to buy Venezuelan oil or else.Link:

Reuters

“We say you should not be helping this regime. You should be on the side of the Venezuelan people,” Elliott Abrams told Reuters in an interview. Abrams described the U.S. approach as “arguing, cajoling, urging.”

 Abrams should have said threatening, bullying and intimidating. Those would have been more accurate descriptors of what is undoubtedly occurring.

“The Indian market is crucial for Venezuela’s economy because it has historically been the second-largest cash-paying customer for the OPEC country’s crude, behind the United States, which through sanctions against Maduro has handed control of much of that revenue to Guaido.Washington wants India to do the same”

I hope India does not comply

The United States is planning to end preferential trade treatment for India that allows duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of its exports to the United States.

 Reuters: SECONDARY SANCTIONS?SECONDARY SANCTIONS is the reality, not the question.

 "Asked whether India had agreed to stop buying oil from Maduro’s government, Abrams said: “I don’t want to characterize the discussions, which continue.” The issue will be discussed on Tuesday during U.S.-India diplomatic consultations in Washington, an Indian official said, adding that India “was very cognizant of the U.S. position” on Venezuela.India is also being pressured by lawmakers from both major U.S. parties. Republican Senator Marco Rubio tweeted on Feb. 13 that Indian refiner Reliance Petroleum’s purchases of Venezuelan oil would undermine Guaido’s “legitimate government” and “lead to calls for secondary sanctions on Reliance.”    Albio Sires, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, wrote to India’s ambassador in Washington on Feb. 12 expressing concern about what Sires called Venezuela’s “attempts to work around U.S. efforts to hold Maduro accountable and approach one of our strongest partners in the process.”     “The U.S. has enough leverage to get India to pull away the relationship with Venezuela,” Rendon said. “That’s why the U.S. role here is key.”

Leverage:  "power to influence people and get the results you want"Wonder what that means in this context?