The Indian government’s unwillingness to condemn Russia forcefully for its invasion of Ukraine seems to have woken up leaders in Washington to a long-simmering problem: how to wean the Indian military off its dependence on Russian arms.
According to Bloomberg News, the U.S. government is considering a $500 million defense package for India, to finance the purchase of U.S. weapons systems.
While half a billion dollars may seem like a lot of money, it really isn’t when compared to the scale of the problem. Until recently, India bought almost all its front-line weaponry from Russia. Researchers at the Stimson Center calculate that, thanks to decades of collaboration, India’s major weapons are overwhelmingly — about 85% — of Russian origin. Moreover, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says that "new orders (from India) for a variety of Russian arms in 2019-20 ... will probably lead to an increase in Russian arms exports in the coming five years.”