WORLD NEWS | Look forward to continued development, boosting ties with Indian military: Pentagon

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (PTI) The Pentagon said the United States looks forward to continuing to develop and promote its relationship with the Indian military.

“The United States and India have a great partnership. We look forward to continuing to grow and advance our relationship with the Indian military,” Pentagon press secretary Air Commodore Pat Ride told reporters at a news conference here on Friday.

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Defense trade between India and the US, which was almost negligible in 1997, now exceeds $20 billion.

At a news conference last month, Ryder said India was a “model” for a country that chooses the United States for security assistance, stressing that it was ready for any response that would keep them away from Russia.

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India has come under fire from U.S. lawmakers, including Republicans and Democrats, for opting to abstain from a U.N. vote condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

US officials have expressed concern over India’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile system.

In October 2018, India signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy five S-400 Triumf air defense missile systems to bolster its air defenses, although the then-Trump administration warned that continuing the contract could invite U.S. sanctions.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)