NEW DELHI: India on Friday strongly rejected remarks made by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to clarify his stance on Ukraine and termed the statement as “factually incorrect and entirely baseless.”
Speaking to CNN, Rutte claimed that India had been in contact with Moscow and Prime Minister Modi had confronted Putin over the Ukraine war, linking it to the economic fallout from US tariffs. “Delhi is on the phone with Putin, and Narendra Modi is asking him to explain his strategy on Ukraine because India is being hit with tariffs,” Rutte alleged.
In a sharply worded rebuttal, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday dismissed the comments as false and irresponsible.
“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. The statement is factually incorrect and entirely baseless,” said Jaiswal. “At no point has Prime Minister Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested. No such conversation has taken place.”
Jaiswal added that the government of India expects better from a leader of such a key international body. “We expect the leadership of an important institution like NATO to exercise greater responsibility and accuracy in public statements. Speculative or careless remarks that misrepresent the Prime Minister’s engagements or suggest conversations that never occurred are unacceptable.”
The controversy comes against the backdrop of rising trade tensions, with US President Donald Trump last month doubling tariffs on key Indian goods to 50%, citing India’s continued imports of Russian oil.
Reiterating India’s energy policy, the MEA spokesperson stressed that its purchases are guided solely by national interest, market conditions and economic considerations. “India’s energy imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. India will continue taking all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” Jaiswal affirmed.
India has consistently maintained a balanced position on the Ukraine conflict, calling for dialogue and diplomacy without aligning itself with Western sanctions on Moscow.
Answering a question on the European Union calling upon India to cut energy imports from Russia, Jaiswal reiterated that there shouldn’t be any double standards, adding that as President Trump said, EU, G7 and NATO countries also need to stop Russian energy imports.