India ‘is looking for partners, not preachers’
India is looking for “partners” and not “preachers”, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said in a veiled message to Europe in the context of the conflict in Ukraine as he explained the nuances of New Delhi’s “Russia realism” and why the relationship between the two sides was an “important fit”.
In an interactive session, Mr. Jaishankar, delving into broader geopolitical upheavals, said Europe had “entered a certain zone of a reality check” and must display some sensitivity and mutuality of interest for deeper ties with India.
India has always advocated for “Russia realism” and there was an “important fit” and “complementarity” between India and Russia as a resource provider and consumer, the EAM said, in remarks that came amid persistent efforts by US President Donald Trump’s administration to strike a ceasefire deal between Moscow and Kyiv.
Over the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, New Delhi has remained engaged with Moscow and enhanced its procurement of Russian crude oil, which triggered criticism from the West. India, however, maintained that its ties with Russia are driven by national interest.
The EAM also criticised earlier attempts by the West to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict without involving Russia, saying it “challenged the basics of realism”.
“Just like I am an advocate of Russia realism, I am also an advocate of America realism,” he said at the ‘Arctic Circle India Forum’.
“I think the best way to engage today’s America is also through finding mutuality of interests rather than putting ideological differences upfront and then allowing it to cloud the possibilities of working together,” Mr. Jaishankar said.
The EAM was broadly delving into the global consequences of developments in the Arctic and how the changing world order impacts the region.
On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Mr. Jaishankar said India has always been “very careful not to prescribe a solution.”
“We have not told one or the other party to do this or do that. And that is important to remember because that is a courtesy that is not always granted to us. So, we get advice on what we should be doing,” he said, in another dig at the West.
Answering a question on India’s expectations from Europe, Mr. Jaishankar said it had to get beyond preaching and start acting based on a framework of mutuality.
“When we look out at the world, we look for partners; we do not look for preachers, particularly preachers who do not practice at home and preach abroad,” he said.
“I think some of Europe is still struggling with that problem. Some of it has changed,” he added.
The EAM said Europe had “entered a certain zone of reality check”. “Now, whether they are able to step up to it or not, it is something we will have to see,” he added.