Double Standards: India Reacts To NATO Chiefs Sanction Threat Over Russia Ties
'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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
US threatens Mexican airline flights over cargo, competition issues
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Trump administration said on Saturday it is taking a series of actions against Mexico over the Mexican government's decisions to rescind some flight slots for U.S. carriers and force U.S. cargo carriers to relocate operations in Mexico City.U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement the department could disapprove flight requests from Mexico if the government fails to address U.S. concerns over decisions made in 2022 and 2023. The department is also proposing to withdraw antitrust immunity from the Delta Air Lines joint venture with Aeromexico to address competitive issues in the is the most popular international destination among U.S. airline said if the U.S. Department of Transportation withdraws approval it "would cause significant harm to consumers traveling between the U.S. and Mexico, as well as U.S. jobs, communities, and transborder competition."The Transportation Department said Mexico has not been in compliance with a bilateral air agreement since 2022 when it abruptly rescinded slots and then forced U.S. all-cargo carriers to relocate operations in Transport Ministry and major Mexican airlines, including Aeromexico, could not be immediately reached for said Mexico was expected to complete construction to alleviate congestion at Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX), but that has yet to materialize three years later."By restricting slots and mandating that all-cargo operations move out of MEX, Mexico has broken its promise, disrupted the market, and left American businesses holding the bag for millions in increased costs," the department USDOT also said it could take action against European countries over limitations at airports. "We are monitoring European States to ensure that they apply the Balanced Approach process for noise abatement at their airports and do not implement unjustified operational restrictions," the department Transportation Department issued a pair of orders requiring Mexican airlines to file schedules with the department for all their U.S. operations by July 29 and requiring prior U.S. approval before operating any large passenger or cargo aircraft charter flights to or from the United States."Mexico has altered the playing field significantly for airlines in ways that reduce competition and allow predominant competitors to gain an unfair advantage in the U.S.-Mexico market," the department said. "Mexico's actions harm airlines seeking to enter the market, existing competitor airlines, consumers of air travel and products relying on time-sensitive air cargo shipments traded between the two countries, and other stakeholders in the American economy."If the U.S. rescinds antitrust approval for Delta and Aeromexico, they would be required to discontinue cooperation on common pricing, capacity management, and revenue sharing, but Delta would also be able to retain its equity stake in Aeromexico, maintain all of its existing flying in the U.S.-Mexico market unimpeded and continue a partnership.
New Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Ukraine war may reach India's shores amid US threat to sanction Russia's trading partners
Donald Trump has been forced to change gear on Ukraine. After berating President Zelensky in the Oval Office on 28 February for not giving in to Russia's demands, the US President's soft approach to Vladimir Putin has fallen apart. 'My conversations will him are always pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night,' admitted a despondent Trump during a recent joint briefing along with NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte. So now the tough approach! More Patriot missiles for Ukraine, and 50 days for Russia to work out a deal to end the war or face a fresh round of withering sanctions. In this round, maybe the Ukraine war is going to reach India's shores. Donald Trump has done all the sanctioning he can since February 2022 when Russia first invaded Ukraine. Direct sanctions against Russia won't work. So, Trump opted for the next best thing in his tool kit: secondary sanctions. Those countries continuing to trade with Russia will be slapped with a 100 percent tariff. High trade volume The immediate target is Russian oil. The country produces 10 percent of the world's crude; and Russia has carried on its brutal campaign against Ukraine thanks to the oil revenue generated through discounted sales to China, India, Brazil and Turkey. Despite western sanctions, Russia earned a whopping $192 billion from oil sales last year, says the International Energy Agency. The new dispensation has been defined well by NATO's Secretary General Rutte: If we can't cripple Russia's economy directly, we hit its trading partners and dry up Russia's markets. "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," Rutte warned. The mood in Washington too has changed. It is now more in step with NATO, and recognizes the need for a sledgehammer approach against Russia. A bill in the US Senate, moved by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, that has Trump's support, would authorize the US President to impose secondary tariffs of at least 500 percent on imported goods from countries such as China, Brazil and India that still trade with Russia. While Senate majority leader John Thune signaled on Monday that he is pausing the bill to await Trump's steps, the bipartisan support now for strong US action to stop Russia is evident. There is a huge downside for India if the new US policy plays through. Trade between Russia and India shot up post-pandemic nearly six times touching around $68 billion in financial year 2025. The balance is heavily tilted in Russia's favour with nearly $60 billion being imports by India mainly of Russian crude oil, fertilizers, minerals, precious stones and metals. Traditionally, Russia has been India's largest arms supplier too. Though this has declined, Russia still accounts for about 45 percent of India's arms imports. In June, India's crude oil imports from Russia reached a two-year high, exceeding 2 million barrels per day. Pre-pandemic, India imported just 1 percent of its crude from Russia. Today the latter supplies 35 percent of India's imports. Pervasive impact India has put up a brave face in response to Rutte's aggressive talk. Oil minister Hardip Puri said India was not worried as it had alternative options. However, he acknowledged that taking Russian crude off the market – that is 9 million barrels a day or about 10 percent of the world's production – could drive up prices to $130-140 a barrel, more than double what prevails today. China too has significantly increased its oil imports from Russia. In 2024, Russia was China's top supplier bringing in 21.5 percent of China's crude imports worth nearly $63 billion. Brazil's imports of Russian diesel too surged by a massive 6,000 percent in 2023, and Russia has become Brazil's top diesel supplier, surpassing the United States. The market reaction to the threat of these new secondary sanctions has been muted with Brent prices remaining steady in the $67-68 range for the last few days. There is always a doubt whether Trump with his 50-day window will follow through. It is also well known that the current US regime is committed to keeping crude prices low as it sees it as a counter to inflation. On the other hand, if these secondary tariffs do kick in, which is a distinct possibility if Russia does not back off, then the impact could be quite cataclysmic for the world economy. It is not just the high cost of alternative supplies, which for India and China will stoke inflation. Rising energy costs have a cascading effect beyond national boundaries. They impact other sectors and depress demand, and could even trigger a recession. The possible boomerang effect on the US is something that should have President Trump worried. Most analysts therefore think these secondary tariffs are really a warning signal being sent out to Russia. But in the current volatile geopolitics, peace is fragile and the circle of conflict is expanding. In this situation, anything can trigger a snowballing crisis. India would therefore do well to lessen its dependence on crude supplies from Russia, as well as seek alternative suppliers of arms and petroleum-related products. That the OPEC group has hiked production by 411,00 shows the prevailing sense of unease.
Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Three drones downed en route to Moscow, some flights suspended, officials say
Russian air defence systems shot down three drones en route to Moscow on Saturday, city mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram account. Two Moscow airports – Vnukovo and Domodedovo – suspended arrivals and departures for safety reasons but later resumed operations, Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said. The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 27 Ukrainian drones in total from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Moscow time (1200-1600 GMT), including four over Moscow region, 15 over Bryansk region, six over Kaluga region and two over Tula region.
