'Factually Incorrect, Baseless': India dismisses NATO Chief Remarks On Modi-Putin Phone Call

New Delhi: India has firmly rejected NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine conflict.

In a strong statement, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:

“We have seen the statement by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte regarding a purported phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. This statement is factually incorrect and entirely baseless. At no point has Prime Minister Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested. No such conversation has taken place.”

Jaiswal also urged NATO leadership to act with greater caution.

“We expect the leadership of an important and esteemed institution like NATO to exercise greater responsibility and accuracy in public statements. Speculative or careless remarks that misrepresent the Prime Minister’s engagement or suggest conversations that never occurred are unacceptable,” he said.

The clarification came after Rutte, during an interview, claimed that Modi had “called Putin to seek clarity on Russia’s strategy” following the 50 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on Indian oil imports from Russia.

“Trump’s tariffs on India are having a big impact on Russia," Mark Rutte said.

MEA dismissed the claim, reiterating India’s consistent position that its energy imports are guided by the need to secure affordable and predictable supplies for its citizens.

“India will continue taking all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” Jaiswal said.

In the same briefing, Jaiswal also addressed rising concerns over illegal migration, particularly deportations from the United States under the Trump administration's intensified enforcement. Providing updated figures, he revealed that 2,417 Indian nationals have been deported or repatriated from the US since January 2025 – a sharp increase from earlier reports of 1,703 through July and 1,080 by May, reflecting accelerated bilateral cooperation.

"We want to promote legal pathways of migration. India stands against illegal migration," Jaiswal underscored. "Whenever there is a person who does not possess a legal status in any country and he or she is referred to us with documents, and if there are claims that he or she is an Indian national, we do the background check, confirm the nationality and then we are in a position to take them back. This has been happening with deportations from the United States."

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