India, facing sanctions for Russian arms deals, says it wants to pivot spending to the US

May 24, 2019

CNBC – On the heels of India’s re-election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the nation’s Ambassador to the United States says national security and modernizing the military are among the government’s top priorities.

And while India, the world’s second-largest arms importer and fifth-largest economy, has inked the majority of its weapons deals with Russia, Indian Ambassador Harsh Shringla says New Delhi wants to pivot its defense spending to the United States.

According to the latest tally from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, also known as SIPRI, Russia remains India’s top arms supplier, with the United States holding down the No. 2 spot.

“There has been a tradition of dependence on defense equipment from Russia,” Shringla told CNBC Thursday at the Indian Embassy in Washington when asked about arms from Moscow.

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