ANKARA

India on Thursday pushed back against the NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s warning that Brazil, China and New Delhi could be hit by US sanctions if they maintain trade with Russia.

“We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments… securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us. In this endeavor, we are guided by what is on offer in the markets and by prevailing global circumstances,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told a news conference in New Delhi.

“We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter,” Jaiswal added.

After meeting with US President Donald Trump early this week, Rutte told reporters: “President Trump said, basically, if Russia is not serious about peace talks (in Ukraine), within 50 days, he will slam secondary sanctions on countries like India, China, and Brazil."

Trump on Monday threatened to impose 100% secondary tariffs on Russia if a deal on ending the war in Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.

On Wednesday, Beijing rejected Rutte's warning, saying “dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out of the (Ukraine) crisis.”

“China opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. Tariff wars have no winners (and) coercion and pressure will lead nowhere,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference in Beijing.