India Faces Western Pressure Over Continued Trade with Russia

New Delhi : NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that India could face secondary sanctions if it maintains its economic relationship with Russia, highlighting growing Western pressure on countries that have not joined sanctions against Moscow.

The warning follows a broader shift in strategy among NATO members, who are now considering measures that would target third countries to increase pressure on the Russian government. India, which has continued to import Russian oil and maintain defense ties, is seen as one of the key countries affected by this approach.

While Rutte called on India, China, and Brazil to use their influence with Russia to encourage peace negotiations, he also confirmed a significant increase in Western military support for Ukraine. According to Rutte, under a new agreement with Trump, the U.S. will supply large quantities of weapons to Ukraine—“not just air defense, also missiles, also ammunition”—with much of the funding coming from European countries.

This dual approach—arming Ukraine while threatening economic penalties on countries that remain outside the sanctions framework—puts India in a difficult position. If secondary sanctions are expanded, Indian companies and financial institutions could face restrictions in accessing Western markets or using international payment systems. This could complicate not just trade with Russia, but also broader economic activity.