‘Caution against double standards': India on NATO chief's warning of sanctions over Russia trade

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3 days ago

India's priority is to secure energy needs for its citizens, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, responding to a question about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte's warning that countries trading with Russia, particularly in fuel, could face secondary sanctions.
On Wednesday, Rutte said countries such as India, China and Brazil might be hit 'very hard' by the sanctions if they continue to trade with Russia amid the war on Ukraine. He also urged the countries to tell Russian President Vladimir Putin that 'he has to get serious about peace talks'.
NATO is a military alliance of 32 countries, including the United States and several members of the European Union.
Responding to a question about Rutte's remark, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaisal said: 'Securing energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us. In this endeavor, we are guided by what is there on offer in the markets, as also by the prevailing global circumstances.'
'We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter,' added Jaiswal.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, which triggered the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. The United States and its European allies have imposed sanctions on Russian businesses and exports to force Moscow to negotiate a peace deal with Kyiv.
India is among the countries whose imports of cheaper fuel from Russia have increased since 2022. This has raised concerns in Washington that high volume purchases are undermining the West's attempts to squeeze the Russian economy and thus, indirectly, helping finance its military operations in Ukraine.
The comments by Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, had come a day after US President Donald Trump announced the provision of new weapons for Ukraine and threatened a secondary tariff of 100% on countries purchasing Russian exports unless there was a peace deal within 50 days.