Ukraine peace deal: India hits out at Nato chief's sanction warning over trade with Russia; warns against 'double standards'

NEW DELHI: The external affairs ministry on Thursday cautioned against "double standards" while pushing back against the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) chief's threat of possible secondary sanctions on India for maintaining trade ties with Russia.

"We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments. Let me reiterate that securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us," the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, said during the weekly media briefing in Delhi.



Further, warning against "double standards", Jaiswal said, "In this endeavour, we are guided by what is available in the markets and also by prevailing global circumstances. We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter."


The external affairs ministry's comments come after Nato chief Rutte, during a press conference in Washington alongside US Senators Thom Tillis and Jeanne Shaheen, urged India, China, and Brazil to reconsider their economic ties with Moscow or face "100 per cent secondary sanctions" if Russia does not commit to peace talks.

Rutte echoed the position taken by American 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.

Also read: Nato threatens sanctions on India, China, Brazil; Mark Rutte says 'call Putin
He further appealed to these nations to pressure Russia into talks. "Please make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks, because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India and on China in a massive way," he warned.

The statement follows Trump's announcement on supplying Ukraine with additional military aid, including air defence systems, missiles, and ammunition, largely funded by European allies. Trump also gave Russia a 50-day deadline to enter serious peace negotiations or face full secondary sanctions.