Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:53am on 26 Sep 2025,Friday India Global
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte claimed US tariffs on India have prompted Prime Minister Modi to call Russian President Putin seeking clarification on Ukraine strategy. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Rutte alleged Modi told Putin he had supported Russia but now faces 25% reciprocal tariffs plus additional 25% penalty for buying Russian oil. Trump imposed these measures to discourage India's Russian energy purchases, citing indirect support for Moscow's military operations. India criticized the tariffs as unjustified, emphasizing energy security for 1.4 billion citizens amid global disruptions. The government noted US-EU maintained substantial Russian trade without similar strategic necessity. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently held trade talks addressing tariff tensions. Neither New Delhi nor Moscow immediately responded to Rutte's claims. (PC: Facebook)
