India Dismisses NATO Chief’s Modi-Putin War Claims

India has categorically rejected claims made by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi questioned Russian President Vladimir Putin about his Ukraine war strategy due to pressure from US tariffs. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described these assertions as “incorrect, baseless and unacceptable.”

MEA Calls Claims Completely False

The MEA issued a strong statement Friday clarifying that no such conversation between Modi and Putin ever took place. “At no point has PM Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested. No such conversation has taken place,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. The ministry urged NATO’s leadership to exercise greater responsibility and accuracy in public statements, emphasizing that speculative remarks misrepresenting the Prime Minister’s engagements are unacceptable.

Rutte had claimed in an interview that Trump’s tariffs on India were impacting Putin, stating that Modi was asking the Russian president to explain his strategy after being “hit by these 50% tariffs by the United States.” The NATO chief suggested this demonstrated how US tariffs were having a broader geopolitical impact on Russia.

India Defends Energy Security Stance

Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022, India has significantly increased imports of discounted Russian crude oil. President Trump recently imposed additional 25% tariffs on India for these purchases, accusing New Delhi of bankrolling Moscow’s war effort. India has consistently defended its energy imports as necessary for ensuring predictable and affordable energy costs for Indian consumers, describing the tariffs as unjustified since similar action hasn’t been taken against other countries like China that continue procuring Russian crude.