Opinion
Mint Quick Edit | US sanctions: Too much collateral damage
Summary
- Indian entities have found themselves in the US dragnet for allegedly aiding Russia’s Ukraine war effort indirectly. India’s response has been appropriately diplomatic. Maybe the US needs to ask itself if this punitive tool is achieving anything.
In response to US sanctions on hundreds of companies and individuals around the world, including 21 from India, New Delhi has said that it is in touch with American authorities to “clarify issues" and that it does not believe these entities violated Indian law.
India has a regulatory framework for strategic trade that includes non-proliferation controls and it’s unclear what “dual use" technology or equipment Russia could have acquired from Indian exporters in support of its war against Ukraine.
The Indian government’s calm response is appropriate. India values its relationship with the US. It’s a strategic partnership that includes a commitment to safeguard the Indo-Pacific from Chinese designs. Washington’s sanctions regime, however, suffers from over-proliferation.
Also read: India responds to US sanctions against 19 companies over ‘support’ for Russia: ‘Not in violation of laws, but…’
It has a maze of strictures aimed to isolate its adversaries like Russia and Iran. The global record, however, shows that while these curbs inflict damage on target countries, they’re mostly ineffective in meeting larger US goals.
Instead of wielding this punitive tool, the US should re-examine it. This will reduce friction with countries that are not in the game of dislodging its authority as a superpower.
