Russian missile purchase almost a 'done deal', US may ease curbs

With the hurdle of cost negotiations crossed, only the Cabinet's concurrence remains for the deal to be ready for signing

Senior defence ministry officials say India’s purchase of five units of Russia’s S-400 Triumf mobile surface-to-air missile system (M-SAM) is “a done deal”.

“All that remains is to decide whether the deal should be signed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets President Vladimir Putin later this year,” said an official closely involved in the negotiations.

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was only marginally more circumspect when she said in a press conference in New Delhi: “It (the S-400) has been for a very long time in negotiations. We have reached a final stage in the S-400 negotiations.” 

With the hurdle of cost