NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said US President Donald Trump's tariffs on India for buying Russian oil are having a "big impact" on Moscow.
Mr Rutte further added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to get clarity from Russian President Vladimir Putin about Moscow's approach in Ukraine, after the US imposed tariffs on Indian products.
"This (tariff) immediately impacts Russia because that means Delhi is now on the phone with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and Narendra Modi is asking him, 'I support you, but could you explain me your strategy because I have now been hit by these 50% tariffs by the United States'," he told CNN on Friday on the sidelines of the UNGA session in New York.
There was no up-front response from Moscow or New Delhi to Mr Rutte's remarks.
In August, Mr Trump had imposed a 25 per cent tit-for-tat tariff on India, along with an extra 25 per cent penalty for Russian oil buys. Since coming back to power in January, the US President has declared tit-for-tat tariffs on a number of countries, blaming New Delhi for facilitating Moscow's invasion of Ukraine by buying its oil.
PM Modi and Mr Putin most recently spoke over a telephone call on the former’s 75th birthday, September 17. According to PM Modi’s office, he reiterated India’s "full support for the peaceful resolution" of the Ukraine conflict, which began in February 2022.
On September 1, the two leaders also had a conversation lasting almost an hour as they rode together from the venue of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, to their bilateral meeting at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. According to sources, Mr Putin had waited for around 10 minutes for PM Modi to arrive.
Trump Calls on NATO Nations to Levy Tariffs against China
Donald Trump this month proposed NATO nations place 50 to 100 per cent tariffs on China and decline to buy Russian oil to assist in ending the war in Ukraine.
In a September 13 post on Truth Social, Trump stated he is ready to impose "major sanctions" on Russia after all of the NATO nations join in and refuse to buy Moscow's oil.
He added that the commitment to victory of NATO has "been less than 100%, and the buying of Russian oil, by some, has been amazing!"
"It greatly weakens your negotiating position and bargaining power over Russia," he said.
Mr Rutte agreed with Trump that NATO nations "should stop" importing Russian oil.
India-US Trade Talks Amid Trump's Tariff Tensions
A delegation headed by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal visited US officials in New York this week, including top officials like Special Secretary and India's top negotiator, Rajesh Agrawal.
The trip came after successive day-long talks in Delhi last week between US Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch and Mr Agrawal on a suggested bilateral trade pact.
The talks followed Donald Trump's tweet that he is looking forward to talking to his "very good friend", PM Modi, in the upcoming weeks.
"I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both our countries," he posted on Truth Social on September 10.
In response, PM Modi said that he was "confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership". India and the US are "close friends and natural partners", he wrote on X.
"Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people," PM Modi added.
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