Q. With reference to Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), consider the following statements:
1.The Act empower US President to impose sanctions on countries that engage in a significant transaction with only the Russian defence and intelligence sectors.
2.Once imposed, the US President could not waive off the sanctions.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: A
Notes:
Recently, the American Deputy Secretary of State described the S-400 missile deal between India and Russia as dangerous, expressed hope that the India and US could solve the issue amicably.
Statement 1 is correct: The CAATSA Act empowers the US President to impose sanctions against certain countries. The imposition of sanctions take place on countries that engage in a significant transaction with the Russian defence and intelligence sectors. The “ultimate goal” of CAATSA “is to prevent revenue to the Russian Government.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The US President could waive off the sanctions if:
- A Country is taking steps to reduce its dealings in terms of Russian weapons purchases or
- A Country has better cooperation with the US on other security matters that are critical to the US strategic interests or
- If the Russian weapons to the country do not significantly increase the risk to United States defence systems and operational capabilities.
Source: What is “CAATSA” or Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act?