RoydadNaft –  NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has issued a stark warning to major economies, including India, China, and Brazil, stating that they could face “very hard” secondary sanctions if they continue their significant trade relations, particularly in oil and gas, with Russia. The caution comes amid escalating pressure from the United States and its allies to economically isolate Moscow over its ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Rutte’s remarks, made during a meeting with US senators, follow an announcement by President Donald Trump about new military aid for Ukraine and a threat of “biting” secondary tariffs of 100 per cent on buyers of Russian exports. President Trump has reportedly set a 50-day deadline for Russia to engage in serious peace talks with Ukraine, failing which these severe economic penalties would be imposed.

The NATO chief explicitly called upon the leaders of India, China, and Brazil to “make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks,” underscoring that continued business with Russia would “slam back on Brazil, on India and on China in a massive way” if a peace agreement is not reached.

This stern warning is reinforced by a bipartisan push in the US Congress, where senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal are advocating for legislation that would authorise even tougher penalties. Their proposed bill reportedly seeks to impose tariffs as high as 500 per cent on countries deemed to be “fueling Putin’s war machine” by purchasing Russian oil and gas.

For India, which has significantly increased its import of discounted Russian oil since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, this poses a considerable diplomatic and economic challenge. Russia has become India’s top crude supplier, now accounting for over a third of its total oil imports, a sharp rise from less than 1per cent before the conflict.

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had previously indicated that the Indian embassy was in touch with US lawmakers regarding the proposed sanctions bill, stating that India “will have to cross that bridge if it comes to it.” The potential imposition of such widespread secondary sanctions could disrupt global energy supplies, raise costs, and significantly impact trade relations for the involved nations, adding a new layer of complexity to the international geopolitical landscape.