Military.com:
Adm. Phil Davidson, the nominee to take over U.S. Pacific Command, has warned against sanctioning India for buying Russian arms that could include a proposed $6 billion deal for S-400 Triumf anti-air missiles billed as “F-35 killers” by Moscow.
The growing strategic partnership between the U.S. and India to counter China should take precedence over sanctions, Davidson said in written responses to questions ahead of his Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) confirmation hearing Tuesday.
Davidson noted his “concern for our defense relationships in the Indo-Pacific with countries such as India, Vietnam, and Indonesia.”
“If the United States decides to sanction these partner nations for their purchases of Russian equipment, this decision may hinder the growth of each developing partnership and increase each partner’s dependence on Russia,” said Davidson, currently commander of Fleet Forces Command.
