"If You Live In Beijing Or Delhi...": NATO Chief's Warning Over Russia Trade
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Wednesday that countries such as Brazil, China and India could be hit very hard by secondary sanctions if they continued to do business with Russia.
Rutte made the comment while meeting with senators in the US Congress the day after President Donald Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine and threatened "biting" secondary tariffs of 100% on the buyers of Russian exports unless there is a peace deal in 50 days.
"My encouragement to these three countries, particularly is, 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 told reporters, who met with Trump on Monday and agreed the new steps.
"So 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 on China in a massive way," Rutte added.
Republican US Senator Thom Tillis praised Trump for announcing the steps, but said the 50-day delay "worries" him.
He said he was concerned that "Putin would try to use the 50 days to win the war, or to be better positioned to negotiate a peace agreement after having murdered and potentially collected more ground as a basis for negotiation.
"So we should look at the current state of Ukraine today and say, no matter what you do over the next 50 days, any of your gains are off the table," he added.
Rutte said Europe would find the money to ensure Ukraine was in the best possible position in peace talks.
He said that under the agreement with Trump, the U.S. would now "massively" supply Ukraine with weapons "not just air defense, also missiles, also ammunition paid for by the Europeans."
Asked if long-range missiles for Ukraine were under discussion, Rutte said: "It is both defensive and offensive. So there's all kinds of weapons, but we have not discussed in detail yesterday with the president. This is really being worked through now by the Pentagon, by the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, together with the Ukrainians."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
7 minutes ago
- Indian Express
What has happened so far in the Jeffrey Epstein case?
The Jeffrey Epstein saga has re-emerged, drawing conservative backlash, government denials, and presidential pleas for calm. A Department of Justice (DoJ) declaration that Epstein was not murdered, and that no client list exists, has created a rift between Donald Trump and his base. Trump has dismissed the secretive investigation into Jeffrey Epstein as 'boring' and only of interest to 'bad people,' even as pressure mounts from his own MAGA base to release details of the case. The US President, who is facing growing backlash over suspicions that his administration is shielding powerful names tied to the convicted sex offender, insisted he supports releasing any 'credible' information. 'I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody,' Trump told reporters Tuesday night when asked about his supporters' obsession with the matter. 'It's pretty boring stuff. It's sordid, but it's boring.' Here's a chronological look at how the controversy unfolded: Jeffrey Epstein was arrested and charged in Manhattan with federal sex-trafficking offenses. Prosecutors accused him of exploiting dozens of underage girls between 2002 and 2005. Despite pleading not guilty, the arrest reignited scrutiny over a prior 2008 plea deal in Florida that resulted in minimal jail time. Epstein was discovered dead in his cell in Manhattan. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging. Epstein's legal team contested the ruling, and conspiracy theories about foul play began to circulate almost immediately. President Trump shared a tweet suggesting Bill and Hillary Clinton were involved in Epstein's death. He later told reporters: 'The question you have to ask is, did Bill Clinton go to the island? Because Epstein had an island.' Trump denied ever visiting the island and emphasized his estrangement from Epstein after a falling out years earlier. Despite the official suicide ruling, rightwing commentators and online users proliferated the slogan 'Epstein didn't kill himself,' fueling public distrust. Even Republican members of Congress echoed the theory on social media. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former associate, was convicted of sex trafficking. The judge called her crimes 'among the worst imaginable,' and described Epstein as her 'co-conspirator.' Court documents tied to Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit against Maxwell were made public. While the files named high-profile individuals like Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, none were accused of wrongdoing. The documents reignited online debate. During a campaign interview, Trump said he would declassify JFK and 9/11 records but hesitated on the Epstein files: 'You don't want to affect people's lives if there's phoney stuff in there.' Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that the Epstein files were 'sitting on [her] desk.' She later clarified she meant case files, not a client list. Conservative commentators received binders labelled 'The Epstein Files: Phase 1.' The materials offered little new information. The DoJ said it would release more documents after victim redactions. Elon Musk posted, and then deleted, a tweet accusing Trump of being listed in the Epstein files. The post was made during a clash over taxes. The DoJ announced there was no Epstein client list and said no more documents would be released. It published 11 hours of surveillance video from Epstein's cell, though one minute was missing. Bondi attributed this to a technical reset. Figures like Alex Jones and Laura Loomer accused the government of a cover-up. On Trump's own platform, Truth Social, loyalists began criticizing the administration. Reports emerged of a heated argument between Pam Bondi and Dan Bongino at the White House. Bongino allegedly accused Bondi of withholding information and considered resigning. NBC News reported Bongino was contemplating resignation, with sources saying: 'He's threatening to quit and torch Pam unless she's fired.' In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump defended Bondi and dismissed Epstein-related controversies: 'Let's keep [America] that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' The post was 'ratioed,' indicating many disagreed. Republicans on the House Rules Committee blocked a Democrat-led effort to force a vote on releasing remaining Epstein documents. House Speaker Mike Johnson called for the Epstein files to be released, stating: 'Put everything out there and let the people decide.' Trump dismissed interest in the case as coming from 'pretty bad people.' 'It's sordid, but it's boring… Anything that is credible, I would say, let them have it.' (With inputs from The Guardian)
The Hindu
7 minutes ago
- The Hindu
ED files chargesheet against Robert Vadra, others in Haryana land deal case
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet against Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur, official sources said on Thursday (July 17, 2025). This is the first time that any probe agency has filed a prosecution complaint against 56-year-old Mr. Vadra in a criminal case. Sources said the charge sheet has been filed against Vadra and some others before a local court here under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He was questioned by the federal investigative agency for three consecutive days in April. The probe against Mr. Vadra is linked to the land deal in Haryana's Manesar-Shikohpur (now sector 83) in Gurugram. The deal of February 2008 was done by a company named Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, where Vadra was a director earlier, as it purchased a 3.5 acre of land in Shikohpur from Onkareshwar Properties at a price of ₹7.5 crore. A Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda was in power at that time. Four years later, in September 2012, the company sold the land to realty major DLF for ₹58 crore. The land deal got embroiled in controversy in October 2012 after IAS officer Ashok Khemka, then posted as the director general of Land Consolidation and Land Records-cum-Inspector-General of Registration of Haryana, cancelled the mutation of this categorising the transaction as violative of state consolidation act and some related procedures. Mr. Vadra has always denied wrongdoing and has said the case was a "political vendetta" against him and his family, which comprises former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. The ED is investigating Vadra in two other cases including one against UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari and a land deal in Rajasthan's Bikaner.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
7 minutes ago
- Business Standard
ED files chargesheet against Robert Vadra in Shikohpur land deal case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against businessman Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in connection with a money laundering case linked to a 2008 land deal in Shikohpur, Haryana, news agency PTI reported. This is the first time a chargesheet has been filed by any investigative agency against 56-year-old Vadra in a criminal matter. According to the report, the ED has filed the complaint in a local court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Vadra was questioned by the agency for three consecutive days in April. Shikohpur land deal case The case concerns a land transaction involving Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company in which Vadra was previously a director. In February 2008, the company purchased 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur, Gurugram (then Manesar-Shikohpur, now sector 83), from Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore. At the time, Haryana was governed by the Congress under then chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Four years later, in September 2012, Skylight Hospitality sold the land to real estate firm DLF for Rs 58 crore. The deal became controversial in October 2012 when senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, then serving as director general of land consolidation and land records-cum-inspector general of registration in Haryana, cancelled the land mutation. He stated the transaction violated provisions of the state's consolidation act and related procedures. Robert Vadra rejects allegations Vadra has consistently maintained that he has done nothing wrong. He has described the case as a "political vendetta" aimed at targeting him and his family, which includes former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and current Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Apart from the Shikohpur land deal, the ED is also probing Vadra in two other cases. One is related to UK-based arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, and the other involves a separate land deal in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
