India responded Thursday to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s warning about potential sanctions for countries purchasing Russian oil. The foreign ministry said India’s energy policy is shaped by national priorities and global market conditions.
“We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs. “Securing energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us.”
His remarks came during a weekly press briefing, in response to Rutte’s recent statements urging India, Brazil, and China to reconsider their ongoing energy trade with Moscow.
“In this endeavour,” Jaiswal continued, “we are guided by what is on offer in the markets and by the prevailing global circumstances. We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter.”
Rutte, speaking to reporters in Washington earlier this week, had warned the three countries that continuing to buy oil from Russia could expose them to secondary sanctions.
“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,” he said. “Because this might hit you very hard.”
He also asked them to take a more proactive diplomatic role with Moscow.
“Make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him he has to get serious about peace talks,” Rutte said, “because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India and on China in a massive way.”
Rutte’s remarks followed comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned of major tariffs against Russia if no peace deal is reached within 50 days.
“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” Trump said Tuesday.
India, Brazil, and China—along with Russia and South Africa—form the Brics economic grouping. Trump has previously criticized the bloc for moving toward trade using local currencies, bypassing the U.S. dollar.
Earlier this month, Trump proposed an additional 10 percent tariff on exports from Brics nations to the U.S.
Since the onset of the war in Ukraine in 2022, India has sharply increased its imports of discounted Russian oil, drawing criticism from some Western leaders. Moscow is now one of New Delhi’s top two energy suppliers.
Despite immense pressure, India isn’t budging from its neutral position. The official line from New Delhi is simple: you have to talk, because you can’t negotiate with a gun to your head. And when it comes to energy, India is putting its own economic needs first, period.
They see it as an internal matter—not something others should weigh in on. But if sanctions come, it’s unclear whether that stance can hold.
