In a statement that has stirred sharp backlash across the Global South, NATO’s newly appointed Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that countries such as Brazil, China and India could be hit very hard by secondary sanctions if they continued to do business with Russia.
As highlighted by former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal, what’s most striking is that India was mentioned before China — a rare and pointed shift in tone that reflects growing impatience within the Western security bloc. Rutte’s remarks, delivered without nuance, come at a time when geopolitical alignments are already in flux and the Global South is asserting more strategic autonomy than ever before.
Rutte, while making the threat, seemed to have overlooked the problem that NATO’s own house isn’t in order. While it threatens others, some of its own member states, including Turkey, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, and even parts of Western Europe, continue to import billions of dollars’ worth of Russian oil and gas.
Even in 2024, EU countries collectively purchased $25 billion worth of Russian fossil fuels, more than the $22 billion in aid they provided to Ukraine in the same period. France, Spain, Austria, and Italy are all part of this quiet trade loop, continuing purchases while loudly preaching sanctions abroad.
This glaring double standard exposes a geopolitical hypocrisy at the heart of NATO’s stance. While India is being warned, countries within NATO’s own alliance are still fuelling the Russian economy, often under exemptions or behind closed doors.
Why is India being singled out?
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India’s energy trade with Russia has grown significantly. India has taken advantage of discounted Russian crude oil, helping protect its economy from global oil price spikes. Unlike the West, India has refused to impose sanctions on Russia, insisting that it follows an independent foreign policy and only honours sanctions backed by the UN. It has also highlighted Western double standards, pointing out that many European and NATO countries continued to buy Russian energy while urging others to cut ties.
Hypocrisy in NATO's position
Rutte’s warning ignores a critical reality: some NATO and EU members themselves still buy Russian oil and gas, directly or indirectly.
Despite being a NATO member, Turkey still imports large amounts of Russian crude and refined oil. It has also become a major trans-shipment hub, helping Russia work around some sanctions through grey-market routes. Yet, there’s no talk of sanctions or pressure on Turkey.
As of 2024, the EU still gets around 7 per cent of its oil from Russia – less than before the war, but not zero. Countries like Hungary and Slovakia, both in the EU and NATO, continue receiving Russian oil through pipeline exemptions. Yet, there's no criticism or sanctions against them.
Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels
Russian gas comprised 45 per cent of EU imports in May 2022; by 2024 that share only fell to 19 per cent. Oil imports also dropped dramatically, from 150 billion cubic metres in 2021 to 52 billion in 2024, underscoring the slow pace of Europe’s energy transition.
Despite these reductions, several EU states, including France, Austria, Spain, Greece, and Italy, continued to import Russian fossil fuels in 2024.
The financial contradiction
While Europe provided $22 billion in financial aid to Ukraine in 2024, it paradoxically spent $25 billion on Russian oil and gas in the same period. This glaring discrepancy underscores the irony of NATO warnings to India and others, while European countries themselves continue to fund Moscow through energy purchases.
These figures not only expose Europe’s ongoing energy reliance on Russia but also call into question NATO’s audacity in threatening secondary sanctions on non-allied nations.
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