India has forcefully rejected NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s assertion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Moscow’s Ukraine strategy following Washington’s tariff hike on Indian imports. The diplomatic rebuttal underscores New Delhi’s determination to defend its sovereignty, counter misinformation, and resist what it sees as Western hypocrisy in politicizing essential commodities such as energy, food, and fertilizers.

Rutte, in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, claimed that US President Donald Trump’s imposition of sweeping tariffs on Indian imports in August – including a 25% levy on New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil – prompted Modi to call Putin for explanations about Russia’s war strategy in Ukraine. According to Rutte, India was forced into closer consultations with Moscow as a direct result of Trump’s tariffs.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs wasted no time in denouncing the remarks. At a press briefing on September 26, ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the comments as “factually incorrect and entirely baseless.” He stressed that at “no point has Prime Minister Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested.”

Jaiswal went further, admonishing NATO leadership for irresponsibility: “We expect the leadership of an important institution like NATO to exercise greater responsibility and accuracy in public statements.” He warned that “speculative or careless remarks” that misrepresent Modi’s diplomatic engagements “or suggest conversations that never occurred are unacceptable.”

Jaiswal also defended India’s continued purchase of Russian hydrocarbons, explaining that energy imports are designed to ensure affordability and predictability for Indian consumers. “We........

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