NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte spoke at the US military academy West Point on Thursday and stressed how important it is to strengthen connections with India, a country he said was “not lost” to the alliance. Rutte said this in response to a query regarding what NATO thought of the recent Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO) summit in China, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present.
Rutte first talked about a “military ballet” that included North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, China’s Xi Jinping, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He said he wasn’t “particularly impressed” with the procession, even though he knew how important it was.
He then talked about PM Modi being at the SCO conference and how Modi didn’t take part in the military display. “And there was also Narendra Modi from India. Of course, he is not lost, so we are also working to keep good relations with India,” Rutte remarked.
India Doesn’t Agree with Rutte’s Earlier Statements
However, Rutte’s recent comments regarding PM Modi have caused some problems. In a different interview with CNN, the head of NATO said that Prime Minister Modi had phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to acquire more information about his plans for Ukraine after the US, under President Donald Trump, put 50% tariffs on Indian oil shipments to Russia.
Rutte said that Modi told Putin, “Hey, I support you, but could you explain the strategy to me? The United States has now hit me with 50% tariffs.”
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India quickly and vehemently condemned Rutte’s statement. Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for MEA, said that the comments were “wrong and completely unfounded.” He said that “at no time has Prime Minister Modi talked to President Putin in the way that was suggested.” There hasn’t been a discourse like this.
Jaiswal also said that India wants the leaders of “important institutions like NATO” to be more careful and responsible when they talk to the public. The MEA said again that India has to import energy to make sure that its citizens have access to cheap and reliable energy. The country will continue to protect its own interests.