‘Double Standards’: India Reacts To NATO Chief’s Sanction Threat Over Russia Ties | India News
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly responded to recent remarks by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who warned of “100 per cent secondary sanctions” on countries like India, China, and Brazil if they maintain trade relations with Russia. The MEA emphasized that safeguarding India’s energy security remains a top priority and cautioned against “double standards” in international expectations.
“We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly press briefing in New Delhi on Thursday. “Let me reiterate that securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us.”
#WATCH | Delhi | On Nato chief Mark Rutte’s comment that countries buying Russian oil could face secondary sanctions, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments. Let me reiterate that securing the energy… pic.twitter.com/SdhmWRQYLL
— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2025
Without naming NATO or the US directly, Jaiswal made India’s position clear. “In this endeavour, we are guided by what is available in the markets and also by prevailing global circumstances. We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter,” he said.
Jaiswal’s comments came after NATO chief Mark Rutte, speaking at a press conference in Washington alongside US Senators Thom Tillis and Jeanne Shaheen, called on India, China, and Brazil to sever their economic ties with Moscow. He warned that failure to do so could result in sweeping secondary sanctions if Russia refuses to enter peace negotiations.
“My encouragement to these three countries, particularly, is that if you live now in Beijing or Delhi, or you are the President of Brazil, you might want to take a look at this because this might hit you very hard,” Rutte said.
He urged the three nations to use their influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Please make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks, because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India, and China in a massive way,” he warned.
Rutte’s remarks echoed the recent position taken by former US President Donald Trump, who earlier this week threatened steep tariffs on countries continuing trade with Russia. Trump also announced new military aid packages for Ukraine, funded largely by European allies, including air defence systems, ammunition, and missiles.
In a dramatic ultimatum, Trump gave Russia a 50-day deadline to enter what he termed “serious peace negotiations,” threatening full-scale secondary sanctions if the Kremlin fails to act. His statement followed days of speculation over a promised “surprise” on the Russia-Ukraine front, after previously calling Putin’s stance “bullshit.”
India’s firm stance signals growing resistance to Western pressure over its Russia policy, reinforcing New Delhi’s insistence on strategic autonomy and national interest-driven diplomacy amid the shifting geopolitical landscape.
