India silent after U.S. sanctions 19 Indian entities for ‘Russia links’

Calling them “Third-Country Sanctions Evaders”, the U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on nearly 400 companies and individuals from 17 countries.

India has not responded directly to the U.S.’s decision to put 19 Indian entities under sanctions for providing “dual-use” technologies to Russia.

Calling them “Third-Country Sanctions Evaders”, the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday (October 30, 2024) imposed sanctions on nearly 400 companies and individuals from 17 countries. On Friday (November 1, 2024), however, India’s Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment, after several requests for a reaction to the sanctions imposed on the largest such number of Indian companies by the U.S. in a single action against Russia.

Officials also did not comment on whether the issue had been discussed in a phone call between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his U.S. counterpart, Jake Sullivan, on Thursday (October 31, 2024).

A readout from the U.S. White House said the two Advisers had discussed “regional security developments, underscoring the need for further efforts to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region and globally”, but made no mention on the U.S. action over Russia-linked companies in India. 

Closer collaboration

“They also discussed further opportunities for closer collaboration in key domains, including clean energy supply chains and defence cooperation,” the readout added, highlighting “progress in the bilateral partnership”, through the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) launched by them in 2023.

The Modi government has thus far not responded to U.S. Treasury sanctions against a number of Indian entities for links to Russia and Iran since 2022, holding only that India “does not recognise unilateral sanctions”. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. will now freeze all property of the sanctioned companies and owners in the United States and ban all transactions by U.S. citizens with them. 

“The United States and our allies will continue to take decisive action across the globe to stop the flow of critical tools and technologies that Russia needs to wage its illegal and immoral war against Ukraine,” Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo, said, announcing the sanctions this week.

The call between the two NSAs, which followed the announcement, came days after India and China announced they had disengaged in the last two pending friction points on the Line of Actual Control, indicating a thaw in ties after four years of a military stand-off. The NSAs spoke amid escalating tensions between India and Canada over the Nijjar killing case, and recent accusations that Home Minister Amit Shah had directed the killing of the Canadian Khalistani activist in 2023. In details that Canadian officials admitted they had leaked to TheWashington Post, they said that their findings had been shared with Mr. Doval during a meeting of Indian and Canadian intelligence officials in Singapore in October 2024. 

When asked, the U.S. State Department spokesperson said the allegations, made by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner as well as the Deputy Foreign Minister in public comments, were “concerning”, and the U.S. government would “continue to consult with the Canadian government about those allegations”.

The Ministry of External Affairs has thus far not commented on the latest allegations from Canada or the U.S. statement of “concern”, though it has frequently dismissed Canada’s case against India as “preposterous” and motivated by “vote-bank politics”. It is unclear whether Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Doval also discussed the findings of a “high-level” inquiry panel set up by India to investigate U.S. allegations that Indian government officials were involved in ordering the assassination of American Khalistani activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. 

Published - November 01, 2024 09:06 pm IST