New Delhi: India has strongly pushed back against recent remarks by NATO chief Mark Rutte, warning of potential sanctions over India’s continued trade with Russia, particularly in the energy sector. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) cautioned against “double standards” and reaffirmed that securing India’s energy needs remains a top priority.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the concerns raised over India’s Russia trade, saying,
“We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following developments. Let me reiterate that securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us.”
He emphasized that India’s energy policy is guided by market availability and global circumstances, and warned:
“We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter.”
The comments came in response to Rutte’s warning, made during a meeting with US lawmakers, where he suggested that countries like India, China, and Brazil could face secondary sanctions if they continued their trade relations with Russia.
“If you live now in Beijing, or in Delhi, or you are the president of Brazil, you might want to take a look into this… because this might hit you very hard,” Rutte said, urging these countries to pressure Russia into peace talks.
Rutte’s remarks coincided with earlier threats by US President Donald Trump, who warned of 100% tariffs on countries continuing business with Russia unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days.
However, India’s response highlighted a perceived hypocrisy in the stance taken by Western and NATO countries. Despite the calls for sanctions, European Union nations and NATO members continue to import Russian energy. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, the EU remains the largest buyer of Russian liquified natural gas and pipeline gas since 2022. Turkey, also a NATO member, has been the biggest buyer of Russian oil products.
The EU has set targets to phase out Russian oil and gas imports by 2027 and 2028, respectively, but continues significant purchases in the meantime.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri also addressed the concerns, stating that India is well-prepared to handle disruptions in Russian supplies.
“I’m not worried at all. If something happens, we’ll deal with it. India has diversified its sources of supply — from around 27 countries earlier to about 40 countries now,” Puri said.
India has maintained that its trade with Russia is based on national interest and energy security, not political alignment. The government has made it clear that it will continue to make decisions based on the welfare of its citizens, not external pressure.
