India has firmly rejected NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s warning of sanctions on countries trading with Russia, urging against “double standards” in global energy trade.

“We are closely following the developments. Let me reiterate that securing the energy needs of our people is an overriding priority. In this endeavour, we are guided by market availability and global circumstances. We particularly caution against any double standards,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a media briefing on Thursday.

The remarks came in response to Rutte’s comments in Washington earlier this week, where he threatened countries like India, China, and Brazil with secondary sanctions if they continue importing Russian oil and gas. “If the man in Moscow doesn’t take peace talks seriously, I will impose 100 per cent secondary sanctions,” Rutte had said.

Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also addressed the issue, stating that India is not “unduly worried” about such threats, having diversified its oil sources significantly. Speaking at the Urja Varta 2025, Puri noted that India now sources oil from 40 countries, compared to 27 in 2007.

“There’s plenty of oil in the market. Iran and Venezuela are under sanctions, but will they remain so forever? With other producers like Brazil and Canada ramping up output, supplies are stable,” said Puri.

He added that India’s purchases of Russian crude, which now make up nearly 40% of its imports, helped stabilize global oil prices post the Ukraine war. “Without India-Russia trade, crude could have reached $130 per barrel,” he said.

India clarified that it has not violated sanctions and buys oil within the global price cap framework.