The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday dismissed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to explain his strategy on Ukraine "because India is being hit with tariffs."

However, the Indian government clapped back at Rutte, saying the statement is incorrect, baseless and unacceptable.

Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (September 26, 2025)

https://t.co/XC8cEDBxIX — Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 26, 2025

"We have seen the statement by NATO Secretary-General Mr. Mark Rutte regarding a purported phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin," the MEA stated, calling the remarks "factually incorrect and entirely baseless".

"At no point has Prime Min

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