India Rebukes NATO Chief Over Baseless Remark on PM Modi-Putin Ukraine Call
MEA blasts Rutte's wild claim as baseless diplomatic blunder.
India unleashed a fiery rebuke against NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, dismissing his explosive assertion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi urgently called Russian President Vladimir Putin to grill him on Ukraine strategy amid punishing U.S. tariffs as "entirely baseless" and "factually incorrect." External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal branded the remarks "speculative or careless," stressing they misrepresent Modi's diplomatic engagements and invent conversations that never happened.
Rutte dropped the bombshell during a CNN interview on the UN General Assembly sidelines in New York, claiming Trump's tariffs on India—tied to its Russian oil buys—are rattling Moscow. "Delhi is on the phone with Putin, and Narendra Modi is asking him to explain his strategy on Ukraine because India is being hit with tariffs," the NATO chief alleged, framing it as leverage against Russia's war machine.
Jaiswal fired back swiftly: "At no point has Prime Minister Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested. No such conversation has taken place." He urged NATO's leadership to show "greater responsibility and accuracy" in public statements, calling such lapses "unacceptable" from a key global player.
Also Read: India, US Push Harder for Swift Conclusion of Mega Trade Pact
The clash spotlights India's staunch defense of its energy choices. Jaiswal justified ongoing Russian crude imports as vital for "predictable and affordable energy costs" to everyday Indians, vowing New Delhi will prioritize national interests and economic security without apology. He swatted down EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas's recent jabs that India's oil ties and military drills with Russia hinder deeper EU-India bonds, especially as Brussels pushes a "rules-based international order."
"No double standards here," Jaiswal retorted, nodding to U.S. President Donald Trump's own criticisms of EU and NATO allies for clinging to Russian energy. Trump, after all, doubled down on calls for 50-100% tariffs on China and an oil embargo to crush Moscow's Ukraine offensive.
The uproar traces to August, when Trump hiked tariffs on Indian goods to 50%—a 25% reciprocal levy plus a 25% penalty for Russian oil purchases—labeling it a bid to starve Russia's war chest. India slammed the move as "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable." White House trade advisor Peter Navarro and others piled on, accusing New Delhi of bankrolling Putin's invasion through discounted crude deals.
Since Western sanctions post-February 2022 Ukraine invasion, India's Russian oil imports skyrocketed from 1.7% of total in 2019-20 to 35.1% in 2024-25, making Moscow its top supplier. Officials insist decisions hinge on market forces and energy security, not geopolitics.
As Trump-era pressures mount, India's riposte to Rutte underscores its refusal to be lectured on sovereignty, even from alliance heavyweights. With trade talks simmering and global energy fault lines deepening, this spat could ripple far beyond rhetoric, testing alliances in a multipolar world.
Also Read: India Defies US Tariffs, Why Russian Oil Remains Untouchable?
