Defence Ministry rejects reports of India halting US arms talks, calls them 'fabricated'

Source : The Economic Times

The Defence Ministry on Thursday dismissed reports claiming India has paused discussions on defence purchases with the United States, calling them "false and fabricated." Officials clarified that procurement processes are continuing as per established procedures.

Earlier today, Reuters reported that New Delhi had paused plans to procure new U.S. weapons and aircraft, citing three Indian officials familiar with the matter. The report described it as “India’s first concrete sign of discontent after tariffs imposed on its exports by President Donald Trump dragged ties to their lowest level in decades.”

Trump on August 6 imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods as punishment for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, which he said meant the country was funding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That raised the total duty on Indian exports to 50% - among the highest of any U.S. trading partner.

Russian ties

India's deepening security relationship with the U.S., which is fuelled by their shared strategic rivalry with China, was heralded by many U.S. analysts as one of the key areas of foreign-policy progress in the first Trump administration, as per Reuters.

Delhi is the world's second-largest arms importer and Russia has traditionally been its top supplier. India has in recent years however, shifted to importing from Western powers like France, Israel and the U.S., according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think-tank.

The shift in suppliers was driven partly by constraints on Russia's ability to export arms, which it is utilizing heavily in its invasion of Ukraine.
The broader U.S.-India defence partnership, which includes intelligence sharing and joint military exercises, continues without hiccups, one of the Indian officials told Reuters..

While the rupture in U.S.-India ties was abrupt, there have been strains in the relationship. Delhi has repeatedly rebutted Trump's claim that the U.S. brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after four days of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May. Trump also hosted Pakistan's army chief at the White House in the weeks following the conflict.

In recent months, Moscow has been actively pitching Delhi on buying new defence technologies like its S-500 surface-to-air missile system, said Reuters.

"India currently does not see a need for new arms purchases from Moscow, two Indian officials said."