External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday delivered a candid message to Europe, stating that India is looking for partners who engage with mutual respect and shared interests, not "preachers" who fail to practice at home what they advocate abroad.
Speaking at the Arctic Circle India Forum 2025, Jaishankar said, “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 observed that parts of Europe continue to struggle with this issue. “Some of Europe is still grappling with that problem. Some of it has changed,” he noted, suggesting that the region has entered a "zone of reality check."
“Now whether they are able to step up to it or not is something we will have to see,” he added. For a meaningful and sustainable partnership with India, Jaishankar stressed the need for "understanding, sensitivity, mutuality of interest, and a realisation of how the world works."
He acknowledged that progress in this regard varies across Europe, saying, “These are work in progress to differing degrees with different parts of Europe. Some have moved further, some a little bit less.”
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India’s Realistic Approach to Global Relations
Jaishankar also elaborated on India's practical and interest-based approach to international affairs, especially in relation to its ties with Russia.
He highlighted the strategic fit between India and Russia, particularly in the energy sector, stating that there is significant “complementarity” between the two nations—with Russia as a resource supplier and India as a consumer.
Criticising previous Western efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict without involving Moscow, Jaishankar said such an approach ignored the fundamental principles of realism. “It challenged the basics of realism,” he remarked.
The minister also emphasised the need for a realistic and interest-based engagement with the United States. “Just like I am an advocate of Russia realism, I am also an advocate of America realism,” he said.
“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,” Jaishankar concluded.
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