NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has issued a strong warning to countries like India, China, and Brazil, stating they could face significant secondary sanctions if they continue to conduct business with Russia. This announcement was made on July 15, 2025, during Rutte's visit with U.S. senators in Washington D.C..

The warning follows President Donald Trump's announcement of new weapons for Ukraine and a threat of 100% secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian exports if a peace deal isn't reached within 50 days. Rutte's message is clear: continued trade with Russia could have severe economic repercussions for these nations.

Rutte specifically addressed the leaders of China, India, and Brazil, urging them to consider the potential consequences. He advised them to contact Russian President Vladimir Putin and encourage him to engage in serious peace negotiations. According to Rutte, failure to do so would result in a "massive" blow to their economies.

"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. He added, "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".

Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis has expressed concern regarding the 50-day delay, fearing that Putin might exploit this period to strengthen his position in the war or gain leverage in future negotiations. Tillis emphasized that any gains made by Russia during these 50 days should not be considered in potential peace talks.