New Delhi: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday issued a strong warning to India, China, and Brazil, cautioning that they could face complete secondary sanctions if they continue their trade relations with Russia. He also urged the leaders of these nations to push Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage sincerely in peace negotiations with Ukraine.
During a media interaction following his meeting with U.S. senators, Rutte stated, “If you’re the President of China, the Prime Minister of India, or the President of Brazil, and you keep doing business with Russia—particularly buying oil and gas—then be aware: if Moscow doesn’t take peace talks seriously, I will enforce 100% secondary sanctions.”
Secondary sanctions are penalties applied not directly on the sanctioned nation, but on other countries or entities that engage with them economically. Rutte emphasized this point, adding, “My message to the leadership in Beijing, Delhi, and Brasília is this: think twice, because this could have serious consequences for your countries. So please, make that call to Vladimir Putin and urge him to take peace efforts seriously—because otherwise, the backlash on Brazil, India, and China will be severe.”
While NATO is a military alliance comprising 32 countries—30 from Europe and two from North America—it does not have formal authority to impose economic sanctions. This has raised eyebrows, with some officials and experts surprised by Rutte’s remarks. Sources familiar with the Indian government’s stance noted discontent over the statement, especially in light of the ongoing complex global energy dynamics.
The NATO chief’s warning closely followed a statement by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested a 100% tariff on Russian exports if a ceasefire isn’t reached within 50 days. Observers labeled Rutte’s comments as reflective of double standards, pointing out that several NATO and European countries, despite sanctioning Russia, continue to import Russian oil through intermediaries.
The European Union has announced plans to phase out Russian gas imports entirely by 2027, yet many member states still rely on Russian energy. In fact, data from 2024 shows that around 18% of the EU’s natural gas imports were sourced from Russia.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also weighed in recently, revealing that New Delhi has voiced its concerns directly to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham regarding a proposed bill aimed at slapping a 500% tariff on nations purchasing crude oil from Russia. “Any legislative activity in the U.S. Congress that affects or could affect our interests is something we monitor closely,” Jaishankar said. We’ve continued our communication with Senator Lindsey Graham regarding this issue.
