US ready to help India's defence but buying S-400 from Russia would limit cooperation: Trump admin
Washington: The US is ready to help India's defence needs with the latest technologies and equipment, but New Delhi purchasing long-range S-400 missile defence system from Russia would limit cooperation, the Trump administration has cautioned.
The statement came weeks after an identical warning from a senior State Department official who had said that New Delhi's deal to procure the lethal missile system from Moscow will have "serious implications" on India-US defence ties.
The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 for the system.
India and Russia signed a USD 5 billion S-400 air defence system deal in October last year after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Senior State Department official (South and Central Asian Affairs) Alice G Wells told House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation on Thursday that the US now does more military exercises with India than any other country.
"Under the Trump administration, we've been very clear that we're ready to help meet India's defence needs and we are seeking a very different kind of defence partnership building on the 'Major Defence Partner' designation that India has received from Congress," Wells said.
She was replying to the Congressional sub-committee on India buying S-400 from Russia and how to make India-US ties as robust and as meaningful as possible.
Just a few weeks ago, India, the United States, the Philippines and Japan did a sail by in the South China Sea, she said.
"In both our bilateral, trilateral, quadrilateral formats, we're working together in ways that we didn't even conceive of 10 years ago. And so we'd like all aspects of our military relationship to catch up to this new partnership," Wells said.
Noting that India has a historical dependence on Russian arms, she said what causes concern with the S-400 is that it effectively could limit India's ability "to increase our own interoperability".
At a certain point, she argued, a strategic choice has to be made by India about partnerships and a strategic choice about what weapon systems and platforms it is going to adopt.
"It is the case that 10 years ago we did not offer the range of military equipment to India that we're prepared to offer today. We're very much engaged in a conversation with India over how we can broaden our defence relationship," Wells said in response to a question.
Signing of COMCASA agreement between the two countries, she said, was a key step forward which allows for the classified sharing of information, which is one of the basic foundational agreements that foster military interoperability.
"So we're making significant strides forward in our military relationship," she said.
"There is no a blanket waiver or country waiver when it comes to an S-400. We have serious concern about a possible S-400 purchase (by India) and we're continuing our conversations on what the United States or other defence providers could assist India," Wells said.
Over the last 10 years, she said India-US defence trade has increased from zero to USD 18 billion, as New Delhi has started to diversify its weapons sources.
"We expect continued progress and expanding that defence relationship. But it's still the case that about 65 or 70 per cent of India's military hardware is Russian origin," she said.
And when Russian President Putin visited India last October, there were additional announcements of big ticket military items that were potentially under consideration, she said.
Responding to another question, Wells alleged that India has the highest tariff barriers of a G-20 country.
"Historically it has been a protected market. So, our failure to negotiate an agreement over the course of the last year and a half led to the decision to suspend the GSP benefits," she said.
However, GSP or asking India to stop purchasing oil from Iran is unlikely to push India into the China camp, she said when asked about it from a lawmaker.
"I don't think so. We are India's largest and best market. Twenty per cent of India's goods come here. There is Indian Foreign Direct Investment in the US. There's a huge interest by US firms in India. As Prime Minister Modi begins his second term. he's preoccupied with job creation and attracting Foreign Direct Investment is going to be a key part of that strategy.
"Properly conducted trade can be a huge strength to the relationship and that's certainly our focus as we begin our engagement with Prime Minister Modi in his second term as how do we fix this part of the relationship," Wells added.
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With 100 days to go, World Cup faces new challenges with Iran war and Mexico violence
Geneva (AP): With 100 days to go until the World Cup, the Iran war has added a new layer of complexity to the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
How the conflict will affect the world's most watched sporting event is the latest issue facing organizers already grappling with cartel violence in one of Mexico's host cities, scaled-back plans for fan festivals in the U.S. and criticism from fans against soaring ticket prices.
Officials of the qualified teams are meeting with FIFA staff in Atlanta this week. The tournament kicks off on June 11 when Mexico plays South Africa in Mexico City. It will be the biggest World Cup ever with 48 participating teams, up from 32 at the previous tournament in Qatar.
Here's a look at some of the issues drawing scrutiny as the countdown began.
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A backdrop of geopolitical tension
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It's not unusual for international politics to overshadow a global sports event like the World Cup — at least in the early stages before the soccer action takes over the headlines.
In 2022, Qatar's treatment of migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community drew headlines off the field. LGBTQ+ rights, the annexation of Crimea and the poisoning of a spy in Britain were in focus when Russia hosted the tournament in 2018.
In Brazil in 2014 and South Africa in 2010 there were concerns about crime and security.
The 2026 tournament looks set to kick off amid a backdrop of political tensions involving the U.S. and the participating nations.
Many have been hit by tariffs. Some are facing travel restrictions. Denmark, which can still qualify through playoffs in March, has been shaken by President Donald Trump's calls for the U.S. to take over Greenland. And with 100 days to go, the U.S. was in a military conflict with Iran, one of the first teams to qualify.
Iran's status at the World Cup is unclear
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Iran is set to play two group stage games in Inglewood, California, and one in Seattle.
However, whether the Iranian team will come to the U.S. is uncertain.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Iran's top soccer official, Mehdi Taj, said last weekend as the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated attacks that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens more senior officials.
Still, Iran has not announced it is withdrawing from the tournament, which no team that qualified has done in the past 75 years. Iran, the second-highest ranked team in Asia, was drawn in a group with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request on whether Iran federation officials attended the Atlanta workshop.
Fan festivals are being slimmed down
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Fan festivals have been a key part of the World Cup experience in the past two decades. They offer a chance for thousands of fans without match tickets to take part in the World Cup atmosphere by coming together to watch games on a big screen.
Some of those plans are now being scaled back in the U.S.
New York/New Jersey eliminated its Fan Fest in Jersey City, New Jersey, even though it had started selling tickets for an event scheduled to be open every day of the tournament.
Planning to sell tickets was itself unprecedented for World Cup fan zones, which were free to enter since being launched at the 2006 edition in Germany.
Seattle cut down its original plan and rescheduled it for smaller venues and Boston trimmed its event to 16 days.
The chief operating officer of Miami's FIFA World Cup host committee said during a congressional hearing on Feb. 24 that it might cancel its event if it did not receive federal funding within 30 days. Kansas City, Missouri, Police Deputy Chief Joseph Maybin said the city had an immediate need for federal funds to prepare security.
House Republicans said federal money may be held up by the partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, caused by Democrats insisting restrictions be placed on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Foxborough games threatened
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The New England Patriots' stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, is due to host seven World Cup games, starting with Haiti-Scotland on June 13 and ending with a quarterfinal on July 9. That is FIFA's plan.
The Select Board of Foxborough has refused to issue a permit for World Cup matches at the stadium and set a March 17 deadline to be paid $7.8 million — what the town estimates will be the cost of police and other expenses. Foxborough said it was not part of FIFA's hosting agreement with Boston.
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Pushback against FIFA's ticket prices
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FIFA has about 7 million seats to fill for the World Cup matches and said last month it received 500 million ticket requests. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proclaimed all 104 games are sold out and yet some fans received emails last week offering an extra 48-hour window for tickets sales.
FIFA's prices in December ranged up to $8,680 per ticket. After criticism, FIFA said it will offer a few hundred $60 tickets for every game to the 48 national federations in the tournament. Those federations will decide how to distribute them to their most loyal fans who attended previous games.
Most seats on FIFA's ticket resale platform — seeking to cut out the secondary market and earn FIFA extra 15% fees from buyers and sellers — are well past the $1,000 mark.
Cartel violence in Mexico
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Mexico's ability to co-host the World Cup has been under scrutiny after a surge in violence last week in the state of Jalisco following the military's killing of a powerful cartel boss.
The state's capital, Guadalajara, is set to host four matches during the group stage.
Mexico's government insists the World Cup won't be affected and President Claudia Sheinbaum said there's no risk for fans coming to the tournament.
Infantino told Sheinbaum that he has full confidence in Mexico as a World Cup host.
The FIFA leader has repeatedly promised the 2026 World Cup will be the greatest and most inclusive.
