WASHINGTON, July 16— NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday cautioned that major economies including India, China, and Brazil could face severe consequences if they persist in conducting business with Russia, as U.S. pressure mounts on Moscow over the Ukraine war.
Speaking on Capitol Hill a day after meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump, Rutte warned of impending “secondary sanctions” that could significantly impact the economies of countries seen as aiding Russia’s war effort, even indirectly.
“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 told reporters.
The former Dutch prime minister’s comments come in the wake of Trump’s latest announcement: a massive new weapons package for Ukraine, coupled with a warning that the U.S. will impose 100% secondary tariffs on those continuing to purchase Russian exports — unless a peace agreement is reached within 50 days.
“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 added.
Trump’s plan, while welcomed by NATO leaders, stirred concern among some U.S. lawmakers who fear the 50-day window could offer Russia an opportunity to gain more ground.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis expressed support for the new weapons package but was wary of the timeline. “Putin would try to use the 50 days to win the war, or to be better positioned to negotiate a peace agreement after having murdered and potentially collected more ground as a basis for negotiation,” Tillis said.
He urged the West to discount any potential territorial gains made by Russia during this period. “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,” he said.
Rutte, however, remained optimistic about the West’s ability to back Ukraine both militarily and financially. He said Europe would “find the money” to strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiation table.
Under the understanding reached with Trump, the U.S. will now escalate its arms supply to Ukraine — extending beyond air defense systems to include missiles and ammunition — all of it funded by European allies, Rutte noted.
Asked if long-range weapons were part of the plan, Rutte said, “It is both defensive and offensive. So there’s all kinds of weapons, but we have not discussed in detail yesterday with the president. This is really being worked through now by the Pentagon, by the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, together with the Ukrainians.”
As the war grinds on with no immediate resolution in sight, NATO and the U.S. are seeking to increase pressure not only on Russia but also on its silent partners — through diplomacy or sanctions.
