NATO Chief Warns India, China, Brazil of Heavy Sanctions Over Russia Ties Amid Trump’s Ultimatum

Washington DC, July 17, 2025: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has issued a stark warning to nations like Brazil, China, and India, cautioning that they could face severe economic consequences if they continue business relations with Russia amid heightened Western pressure over the Ukraine war.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after meetings with US lawmakers, Rutte urged leaders in Beijing, New Delhi, and Brasília to reassess their ties with Moscow in the wake of looming secondary sanctions threatened by US President Donald Trump.

“My encouragement to these three countries, particularly is, if you live now in Beijing, or in Delhi, or you are the president of Brazil, you might want to take a look into this, because this might hit you very hard,” Rutte said.

He added a direct appeal for diplomatic intervention, saying: “So please make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks, because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India and on China in a massive way.”

Rutte’s comments come a day after President Trump announced new measures to escalate pressure on Moscow, including a warning of “biting” 100% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian exports if a peace deal is not secured within 50 days.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis, while praising Trump’s decisive stance, voiced concern about the 50-day window, cautioning that President Putin might exploit the period to make military gains.

“So we should look at the current state of Ukraine today and say, no matter what you do over the next 50 days, any of your gains are off the table,” Tillis said.

Rutte confirmed that Europe remains committed to supporting Ukraine and would mobilize financial resources to strengthen Kyiv’s position in any future peace negotiations. He disclosed that under the recent understanding with Trump, the United States would significantly boost weapons supplies to Ukraine, with European nations footing much of the bill.

“It is both defensive and offensive. So there’s all kinds of weapons,” Rutte said, though he declined to detail whether long-range missile systems were part of the immediate package, noting those specifics were being worked out by military leaders and the Pentagon.

The strong signals from Washington and NATO raise the stakes for countries maintaining commercial or strategic ties with Moscow, as the West intensifies efforts to isolate Russia economically and diplomatically over its invasion of Ukraine.