PM Modi Raises Trade and Ukraine Concerns with Putin Amid US Tariffs, NATO Chief Says

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Russia’s strategy in Ukraine and highlighted the impact of U.S. tariffs, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said.

Rutte, speaking to CNN on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, said PM Modi asked Putin to “explain the strategy,” while also flagging the 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the United States on Indian goods.

“Trump’s tariffs on India are having a big impact on Russia,” Rutte added, emphasizing the broader economic ramifications of Washington’s measures.

The U.S., under Donald Trump, had doubled tariffs on Indian products to 50 per cent, including an additional 25 per cent duty on India’s purchase of Russian crude oil, as part of efforts to pressure Moscow over the Ukraine invasion. India termed the action “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.

Meanwhile, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro defended the tariffs and controversially claimed that some members of India’s Brahmin community were “profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.”

India and the U.S. have indicated ongoing negotiations to address these trade barriers.

Separately, Russia’s top diplomat at the UN accused NATO and the EU of using Ukraine to wage a “real war” against his country, reflecting rising geopolitical tensions.