The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) aims to sanction nations that do business with Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Defense Secretary James Mattis is urging the broad use of exceptions for US allies who are buying Russian arms.
The problem is fairly straightforward. The US is the world’s largest arms exporter, with Russia a distant second. CAATSA sanctions, however, risk chasing off potential customers who are already buying some equipment from the Russians.
In some cases, countries the US are courting as customers, like Indonesia, have to buy parts from Russia to keep their existing systems in place. Other important customers, like India, Vietnam, and Turkey, all buy from both the US and Russia. The concern is, if the US makes them choose one or the other, they might choose Russia, and find other NATO partners for the US-style equipment.
The US has reacted angrily in recent years when customers buy new Russian gear, as with Turkey acquiring the Russian S-400. Despite being the market leader in arms, however, Mattis’ comments recognize that the US can’t enforce a monopoly in any real way.
tesyt
We our selves recently bought Russia attack helicopters from Russia for fighting in Afghanistan . We should not criticize our allies for doing what we do .
How about America supplying its army in Afghanistan by transiting Russian airspace? How about America buying rockets and rocket engines directly from Russia? How about American astronauts hitching a ride to the International Space Station via Russian lift vehicles. This is imbecility as is every aspect of this fabricated Cold War 2.0.
The whole sanctions nonsense is to show who is the big bully.
India has been the smartest at pretending they take the empire seriously.
Good idea. It would be better for Europe to buy russian fighters than to buy F35’s. Just imagine being stuck for another 30 years with this extremely expensive junk, while the rest of the world will have moved on in five years.
.. what do you mean ‘not allowed’? But you just said??..