'Putin's strategy is clear to Americans': Kanwal Sibal slams NATO chief's claim on PM Modi, Russian President

Former Foreign Secretary of India Kanwal Sibal on Friday slammed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Russian President Vladimir Putin about Moscow's strategy vis-à-vis the Ukraine war. Sibal, who has also served as India's Ambassador to Russia, mentioned that Putin's strategy is crystal clear to the Americans. 

"Putin’s strategy is clear to the Americans. They have assessed this at Alaska and now at NY when Lavrov and Rubio have met at delegation level. US and Europe have jointly made assessments of Putin's strategy at the Oval Office and in subsequent US-European exchanges. Do they believe that Putin will change his strategy on Ukraine which he sees as fundamental to its security to relieve pressure on India by Trump on tariffs?" he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

Furthermore, he added that Modi and Putin had intensive private exchanges during the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in China. "Modi has been briefed on Trump’s views on resolving the conflict. India needs to better understand NATO/ Europe’s strategy which seems dangerous and unrealistic. "

Sibal asked whether Rutte was monitoring PM Modi's calls to Putin and the conversation that the two world leaders had. "Is Rutte monitoring Modi’s calls to Putin and what Modi is telling him? Daddy’s boy is entitled to be childish."

Rutte said that US tariffs on India are significantly affecting Russia, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks answers from President Vladimir Putin about Moscow's Ukraine strategy.

Rutte told CNN: “Trump’s tariffs on India are having a big impact on Russia. 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.”

When asked whether Trump would impose broader sanctions on Russia, he said that the US President has already done that. He argued that the tariffs against India were imposed due to its Russian oil imports. 

“Yeah, but this immediately impacts Russia, because that means that Delhi is now on the phone with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and Narendra Modi asking him, 'Hey, I support you, but again, could you explain to me the strategy? Because I have now been hit by these 50% tariffs by the United States.' So President Trump is implementing what he says, but of course, we are not happy that, so far, we have not been able collectively to end the war, but he is working on it.”