What Phone Call? How India Reacted To NATO Chief's Claim On PM Modi-Putin 'Tariff Talk'

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday rejected a statement by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte regarding an alleged phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President

Vladimir Putin.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “The statement is factually incorrect and entirely baseless. At no point has Prime Minister Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested. No such conversation has taken place.”

He added: “We expect the leadership of an important institution like NATO to exercise greater responsibility and accuracy in public statements. Speculative or careless remarks that misrepresent the Prime Minister’s engagements or suggest conversations that never occurred are unacceptable.”Jaiswal further stated: “India’s energy imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. India will continue taking all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.”The MEA statement comes after NATO Chief Rutte, speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, claimed that PM Modi had been in direct contact with Putin over the US tariffs.“Yeah, but this immediately impacts Russia because that means that Delhi is now on the phone with Vladimir, Vladimir with Putin in Moscow and Narendra Modi asking, hey, I support you, but again, could you explain to me this strategy? Because I have now been hit by, by these 50% tariffs by the United States. So President Trump is implementing what he says, but of course, we are not happy that so far we have not been able collectively to end the war. But and he is working on it.”Rutte had earlier backed the tariffs on India, arguing that the measures were already creating pressure on Russia over the Ukraine war.In his own address to the UN, Trump had accused China and India of financing Russia’s war through continued oil purchases and announced new tariffs against India, escalating duties to 50% on August 27. Moscow, meanwhile, dismissed the rhetoric, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejecting the “paper tiger” remark and asserting Russia remained a bear with stable macroeconomic fundamentals.