New Delhi, 26 Sept

India on Friday described as “entirely baseless” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a strategy on Ukraine amid the impact of US tariffs on India’s energy imports from Russia.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called the remarks “speculative or careless” and said they misrepresent Modi’s engagements. “At no point has Prime Minister Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested. No such conversation has taken place,” he said, adding that the leadership of an institution like NATO must exercise greater responsibility in public statements.

Rutte had told CNN on the margins of the UN General Assembly that India was being hit by US tariffs and that Modi was on the phone with Putin seeking an explanation of Russia’s Ukraine strategy. Jaiswal called the statement “factually incorrect and entirely baseless.”

The MEA spokesperson defended India’s continued procurement of Russian crude oil, saying it ensures predictable and affordable energy costs for Indian consumers. He also dismissed recent EU criticism of India’s energy ties with Russia, noting that US President Donald Trump had previously criticised the EU and NATO for their own energy imports from Russia. “There cannot be any double standards in the matter,” he said.

Jaiswal reaffirmed that India will continue taking all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security. India has maintained that its energy imports from Russia are guided by market dynamics and national interest. After Western sanctions, India increased purchases of Russian oil at discounted rates, raising Russia’s share in India’s imports from 1.7 per cent in 2019-20 to 35.1 per cent in 2024-25, making it India’s largest oil supplier.

The US has recently doubled tariffs on Indian goods, including additional duties linked to its purchase of Russian crude, which India has described as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.” Several Trump administration officials, including White House trade advisor Peter Navarro, accused India of indirectly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine through continued crude imports.

Jaiswal emphasised that India’s energy policy is based solely on securing affordable energy for its citizens, and criticised what he described as attempts to impose “double standards” on New Delhi.