New Delhi: External Affairs Ministry on Thursday in a rebuttal to NATO chief Mark Rutte’s remarks on the possibility of secondary sanctions on purchase of Russian oil said that securing energy needs of India was an an “overriding priority” for the country which is “guided by available offers” and “prevailing global circumstances.”
The Ministry of External Affairs further cautioned against “double standards” on the matter.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “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 that securing the energy needs of our people is, understandably, an overriding priority for us. In this endeavour, we are guided by what is available in the markets, as well as by the prevailing global circumstances.”
“We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter,” the MEA Spokesperson said.
The NATO Secretary General had in his recent remarks asked India, China, and Brazil to reconsider their purchase of oil from Russia or face the prospect of “100 per cent secondary sanctions”.
Rutte echoed the position taken by US President Donald Trump, who earlier this week threatened severe tariffs on countries maintaining trade with Russia. “My encouragement to these three countries, particularly, is that if you live now in Beijing or in 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 had said.
The NATO chief had also urged India and the other countries to “make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks” with Ukraine. “because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India and on China in a massive way.”
US Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal have also pushed for the swift passage of the “Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025”, which calls for imposing penalties and tariffs as high as 500 per cent on any country aiding Russia economically. They alleged that countries purchasing Russian oil and gas, including India, are “propping” up “Putin’s war machine”.