United States may consider sanctions against India citing a purchase of S-400 Triumf missile defence system from Russia, a state department official said on Wednesday. The statement comes as India has taken a neutral stance at the United Nations in relation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Donald Lu, who serves as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, said that US President Joe Biden’s administration if India should be sanctioned under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of the US.

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While clarifying the decision was still under process, Lu said that “India is a really important security partner of ours now and that we value moving forward that partnership”, according to reports from ANI.

India has reportedly drawn flak from various Congress members of the United States, both Republican and Democratic, for abstaining its vote at a United Nations meeting that voted to condemn the invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday. 35 other countries at the meeting also abstained from voting.

According to reports from ANI citing Lu’s statements, India recently rolled back defence deals with Russia. These deals included orders of anti-tank weapons and MiG-29 fighter jets.

“My view is that it’s going to be very hard for anyone to buy major weapon systems from Moscow in the coming months and years, given sweeping financial sanctions that the administration, with the support of Congress, has levelled”, Lu said in a statement.

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“I would guess that India is one of those countries worried about that”, he added.

Before Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this month, some key United States Senators requested President Joe Biden to give India a “waiver” from such sanctions, citing a common threat from China.