India Rejects NATO Chief’s Claim on Modi-Putin Call, Terms Remarks “Baseless”

India on Thursday strongly dismissed NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte’s claim about a purported phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine conflict, calling the remarks “factually incorrect and entirely baseless.”

Rutte, in an interview with CNN, alleged that PM Modi had urged Putin to explain his Ukraine strategy, linking the issue to US tariffs on Indian goods. “Delhi is on the phone with Putin, and Narendra Modi is asking him to explain his strategy on Ukraine because India is being hit with tariffs,” he claimed.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal refuted the statement during a weekly briefing: “At no point has PM Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested. No such conversation has taken place.” He stressed that NATO, as a responsible institution, should exercise “greater responsibility and accuracy” in public remarks, warning that speculative comments misrepresenting the Prime Minister’s engagements were “unacceptable.”

The clarification comes amid heightened scrutiny of India’s energy trade with Russia after US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian exports to 50% last month, citing New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases. Jaiswal reiterated that India’s energy imports are guided solely by the objective of ensuring affordable and predictable costs for Indian consumers.

Meanwhile, India and the US continue to advance their trade negotiations. A Piyush Goyal-led delegation is currently in New York for talks, following a meeting in New Delhi on September 16 where both sides agreed to work towards an early and mutually beneficial trade agreement.