India on Friday dismissed as "wholly baseless" NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's assertion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin the effect of US tariffs on Russian oil buying. The government asserted that it would do everything in its power to ensure its economic security.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected Rutte's remarks, made in a recent interview as he replied to US President Donald Trump's tariffs and other retaliatory actions introduced to bring the war in Ukraine to an end. Rutte had indicated that a 25% tariff on India for Russian energy buys persuaded Modi to call Putin.
“We have seen the statement by NATO secretary general Mr Mark Rutte regarding a purported phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin,” Jaiswal told a media briefing. “The statement is factually incorrect and entirely baseless. At no point has Prime Minister Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested. No such conversation has taken place.”
Jaiswal further stated that India anticipates leaders of major institutions such as NATO to use "greater responsibility and accuracy" in their public utterances. "Conjectural or irresponsible statements that misquote the Prime Minister's activities or imply talks that took place but never did are not acceptable," he stated.
He also emphasized that India's import of energy is meant to "ensure predictable and affordable energy costs" for the consumers. "India will continue to take all steps necessary to secure its national interests and economic security," Jaiswal added.
India has come under fresh pressure from the US and the EU in recent weeks to suspend Russian oil purchases at discounted prices, as Trump has stepped up efforts to convince countries like China, India, and Turkey to desist from buying Russian crude. US officials have claimed that India is profiting economically from Russian energy and purportedly funding Russia's "war machine."
As of now, Russia provides nearly 40% of India's energy requirements, a stark increase from under 1% when the Ukraine invasion began. India has always argued that its Russian oil and military hardware purchases are driven by energy and national security interests.
Rutte had said in the interview on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York that the new US tariffs “immediately impacts Russia because that means Delhi is now on the phone with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and Narendra Modi is asking, ‘Hey, I support you, but could you explain to me the strategy because I have now been hit by these 50% tariffs by the United States.’”
He said countries that continue to import Russian energy must desist and added that the European Union is already doing it.
Reacting to this, Jaiswal justified India's ongoing oil imports, stating there can be no "double standards," given Trump's seeming rebuke of EU and NATO allies for their energy relations with Russia.
He also dismissed recent EU criticism of India's energy dealings with Russia. EU foreign and security policy chief Kaja Kallas had urged last week that India's military drills and Russian oil purchases "stand in the way of closer ties" with the EU.
“On the EU comments on Russian oil, I would like to draw your attention to some of the comments made by several leaders, including Trump, that the EU, NATO and G7 countries should also look at halting energy imports from Russia,” Jaiswal said.
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