‘Emerging Superpower’: Finland Urges EU To Engage India, Not Club It With Russia, China
Finland President Alexander Stubb highlighted India’s strong economic and demographic advantages, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing India from Russia and China in global geopolitics. Speaking on Bloomberg Podcasts, Stubb urged Western countries to engage more actively with India rather than grouping it together with Russia and China.
“Some multi-vectoral foreign policy is taking place there. I think, of course, Russia and China have a direct connection. In the early 1990s, China and Russia had economies of the same size, but now China is over 10 times bigger. And actually, with its oil purchase, with its gas purchase, with its technological exchange, it does give the possibility for Russia to conduct the war, so there’s a very close link there,” Stubb explained.
He contrasted this with India’s position: “Then, of course, with India, India is a very close ally of the European Union and of course of the United States as well, so I wouldn’t throw them in the same basket. But India is obviously an emerging superpower. It’s got demography. It’s got economy on its side, and I always argue that it’s very important for the West to engage India, work with them.”
The remarks come amid growing Western criticism of India’s continuing trade relations with Russia, especially regarding crude oil purchases following the war in Ukraine. Western nations, led by the United States, have voiced concerns that these transactions potentially aid Russia’s war efforts. However, India maintains that its trade policies, including oil purchases from Russia, are driven by the needs of its population and will continue in a way that benefits its people.
Echoing a somewhat similar sentiment, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a conversation with Fox News journalist Brett Baier, suggested that India is primarily aligned with Ukraine’s interests. When questioned about India’s crude oil purchases, Zelenskyy stated, “I think India mostly with us. Yes, we have these questions with energy, but I think that President Trump can manage it.”
Zelenskyy’s comments appear to diverge from the stance of the United States, a major weapons supplier to Ukraine. The US has accused India of indirectly funding Russia’s war efforts through its crude oil imports. In response, then-US President Donald Trump imposed tariff penalties on India for purchasing Russian crude oil.
As the geopolitical landscape evolves, leaders like Stubb and Zelenskyy underscore the complexity of alliances and the importance of nuanced engagement with nations like India, recognizing its growing influence on the global stage.
https://www.news18.com/world/emerging-superpower-finland-urges-eu-to-engage-india-not-club-it-with-russia-china-ws-kl-9593323.html
