India on Thursday dismissed NATO chief Mark Rutte's threat of "100% secondary sanctions" on countries trading with Russia, particularly in gas and oil, stating that its "overriding priority" is to secure the nation’s energy needs.

Commenting on the matter, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India's domestic needs depend on the current market scenario and geopolitical conditions, and warned the West against adopting any "double standards."

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

Jaiswal's strong-worded response comes after India's Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri didn't break a sweat over Rutte's warning, stating that India could diversify its supplies from countries like Guyana and existing producers like Brazil and Canada.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump also warned countries buying Russian oil, saying they could face up to 100 per cent secondary tariffs if Moscow fails to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within 50 days.

On Wednesday, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte issued a blunt warning to Brazil, China, and India, warning that they could face serious economic penalties if they continued trading with Russia. Rutte's remarks came right after his meeting with US senators.

Rutte warned Russia's main trading partners — India, Brazil, and China — especially since the war with Ukraine began in 2022 — saying they could face up to 100 percent secondary sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not take the peace deal seriously.

"If you are the President of China, the Prime Minister of India, or the President of Brazil, and you continue to trade with Russia and buy their oil and gas, then you know: if the man in Moscow doesn't take the peace negotiations seriously, I will impose 100 per cent secondary sanctions," Rutte said.

Rutte also called on the leaders of the three nations to directly urge Putin to commit to peace talks. "So 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 said.

Source: India Today