India and Indonesia don't have an imperial attitude and try to blackmail the US like the self styled Ottoman Sultan, or is it Caliph, Erdoğan tries to.
referring to Turkey but instances where other countries acquired Russian gear and sanctioning them was contrary to U.S. interests .
Well that's the point that I try to make. Whose CAATSA going to be aim for? When CAATSA come out there's some confusion which condition can be exclude from CAATSA. I remember some bipartisan Senators told, Nation that already used or in process of procuring Russian defense assets can be exclude. I remember they mentioned nation like India, Vietnam and Indonesia. Reason is for those nations armed forces need Russian support on operating their defense assets.
Then Trump administration come out and say, CAATSA will going to be implemented to all regardless their situation. Simply put, you bought Russian, I'll sanction yours.
I put Turkey as example, eventough Sultan Erdo behaving himself as like Otoman Sultan (just like Tsar Putin and Emperor Xi behaving as Tsar and Emperor of ancient Russian and Chinese empires), but like it or not Turkey is NATO allies. Thus by sanctioning Turkey, Trump basically say, I already sanction a NATO allies with it, thus everyone will be sanction by CAATSA.
I'm not going to argue whether CAATSA going to damage US position on the long term or not. However if US cherry picking on whose going to be sanction under CAATSA, best they just drop CAATSA altogether. They already decided which level of defense co-op their going to implement anyway for each Nation in this world, with or without CAATSA.
However US already waive CAATSA to global community. It will jeopardize their image as 'strong' and determine super power if they don't implement them in consistent way. Foreign politics is much depends on flexibility but also on how consistently you are going to implement your own policy (thus your own word).
Will Vietnam be sanctioned in the future? If so; the Chinse will be laughing off their chairs at what the Americans have done.
At this moment I just see, either they drop CAATSA on this present form, or stick on implementing CAATSA consistently on the present form to the letter. So if they still want to stick with CAATSA in this present form, then yes they should sanction any country who bought Russian. That's their (US) consequences by introducing CAATSA in first place.
Prabowo's and Luhut (Indonesian Minister of everything), basically goes to Washington to lobby on exception on CAATSA for some assets that already under contract with Russian. However they seems don't get it from Washington, thus why Prabowo's assign lobby firm to help Indonesia on getting substitute offer from Washington.
You ask that if Indonesia want to buy Russian asset like BMP, why should Indonesia worry with CAATSA ? Well CAATSA got everything related with (if Indonesia still want to care relationship with US). So off course CAATSA got everything to do with.
It is not yet clear how the U.S. will respond to India’s receipt of Russia-made S-400 air defense systems.
thediplomat.com
There's a lot off analysts/journalists (many of them seems Indian looking at the names), that still think India will be given waiver of some sort by US on implementing CAATSA. However there're also those in Washington (especially in the Hill) that saying CAATSA has to be implemented consistently.
In the end what I'm saying is, If US give waivers on CAATSA thus cheery picking on the implementation. Then how CAATSA it self will be regarded by other Nations. They will see it just another paper tiger act from US, and everything can be bargain with. Better just US drop CAATSA.
