Washington

According to reports, the Biden administration is preparing a military package for India to ensure it reduces its dependence on Russian weapons.

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Bloomberg media reported the package included foreign military financing of $500 million. It is however unclear what kind of weapons are on offer for the Indian military.

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India has been dependent on Russian military weapons for decades with the S-400 missile defence system being the latest on its acquisition list. 

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In October 2018, India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems. Russia recently said it had begun the delivery of the surface-to-air missile systems.

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Two US Senators India Caucus co-chairs Mark Warner and John Cornyn had urged President Joe Biden to waive possible sanctions against India over its purchase of Russia's S-400 air defence system.

The US had earlier imposed sanctions on Russia under the stringent Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The law provides punitive action against countries purchasing defence hardware from Russia.

The US had warned India could invite sanctions over the CAATSA act, however, the Biden administration hasn't gone forward with the sanctions against India so far.

According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India imported 49 per cent of arms from Russia between 2016 and 2020 and in the period between 2011-15, Russia accounted for 69 per cent of India's total arms imports.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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