It was also seen as the principal gateway for the projection of American power in West Asia, especially in Syria and Iraq, through the Incirlik airbase. Turkey’s forced ejection from the F-35 project now could also turn out to be counterproductive. Therefore, there is far less reason for the U.S. to take umbrage at India’s decision to buy the S-400 air defence system. The U.S. is also India’s largest trading partner and is intimately engaged in India’s civil nuclear programme. Such unilateralism seems to have become an integral part of the current American administration’s DNA.

Source: The Hindu July 21, 2019 18:32 UTC