India clarifies no talks held on F-35 jets, stresses autonomy in balancing ties with US, Russia

admin

MEA on India-US ties amid Trump's tariff tirade



At the same time, India made it clear that its ties with other countries, including Russia, are not shaped by third-party considerations.Meanwhile, the Indian government informed Parliament that no formal discussions have taken place with the United States regarding the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets, despite the topic being alluded to in a bilateral statement earlier this year.In a written response to a question from Congress MP Balwant Baswant Wankhade, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said: “No formal discussions have been held as yet on this issue.” The query concerned whether the U.S. had made any official proposal to India regarding the sale of F-35 aircraft, following President Donald Trump’s public reference to such a possibility during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February visit to Washington.While the India-U.S. joint statement issued on February 13 mentioned a potential policy review by Washington on the transfer of advanced military platforms, including the F-35 and undersea technologies, Singh confirmed that no dialogue has taken place to date.India’s response underscores its strategic autonomy and careful approach to military modernisation, balancing enhanced cooperation with the U.S. alongside a pragmatic, long-standing partnership with Russia.



Source link