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India reacts to NATO chief’s Russian oil warning, says energy security is top priority
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is guided by market options and global factors, and cautioned against any double standards over Russian oil imports.
India on Thursday responded to NATO secretary general Mark Rutte’s comment on possible secondary sanctions against countries buying Russian oil, saying it is closely following the developments and reaffirming that national energy security remains a top priority.
“We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments. Let me reiterate, and I have said this in the past as well, securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us,” ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“In this endeavour, we are guided by what is there on offer in the markets, as also by prevailing global circumstances. We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter,” Jaiswal added.
Mark Rutte has warned that countries like India, China, and Brazil could face secondary US sanctions if Russia fails to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.
He urged these nations to pressure President Vladimir Putin into entering serious talks to end the war.
“My encouragement to these three countries particularly is, if you live now in Beijing or in Delhi, or you’re the president of Brazil, you might want to take a look into this, because this might hit you very hard,” Rutte told reporters on Tuesday.
“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,” he added.
His remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump declared he would give Putin 50 days to begin peace negotiations with Ukraine, failing which the US would impose “secondary tariffs” of 100 per cent and additional sanctions.
These penalties would be aimed at nations continuing to trade with Russia despite US sanctions, he added.
Trump did not specifically name Brazil, China, or India, but all three have continued purchasing Russian oil and petroleum products since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, US senators are pushing for legislation that would impose tariffs of up to 500 per cent on countries that maintain trade ties with Moscow.
