India Wants Partnerships, Not Preachers: Jaishankar Takes Swipe At Europe

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar mentioned that whilst the United States has grown extra self-sufficient, Europe is beneath expanding power to evolve to a converting, multipolar international. He emphased that India desires partnerships and now not preachers, particularly those that do not apply their very own recommendation.

“We have now reached a size and a stage where almost anything consequential that happens in any corner of the world matters to us. The United States is much more self-sufficient today than it has been in a long time. Europe is today under pressure to change. The realities of multipolarity are dawning on it. I think it has still not adjusted and absorbed it fully. The US has dramatically changed positions. The Chinese are doing what they were doing. We are going to see an arena of contestation, which is not going to be easy to recall. We are looking at a much more contested world, much sharper competition,” Jaishankar stated whilst talking on the Arctic Circle India Forum 2025 on Sunday.

The External Affairs Minister added they we don’t seem to be in search of preachers, particularly those who do not observe at house what they hold forth in a foreign country.

“When we look at the world, we look for partners, we don’t look for preachers. Particularly, preachers who don’t practice at home what they preach abroad. Some of Europe is still struggling with that problem. Europe has entered a certain zone of reality check. Whether they are able to step up or not is something we will have to see, he said, adding, “if we need to broaden a partnership, there needs to be some working out, sensitivity, mutuality of passion and a realisation of ways the arena works.”

Emphasising the significance of the Arctic, Jaishankar stated that as one of the crucial international’s youngest nations, India’s long run is intently tied to what occurs within the area, which may have world penalties.

“We have had a growing involvement with the Arctic. We had an even earlier involvement with the Antarctic, which is now more than 40 years. We have come up a few years ago with an Arctic policy. We have agreements with KSAT on Svalbard, which is relevant to our space. As the country with the most young people on this planet, what happens in the Arctic is of extreme importance to us…Given the direction in which things are moving, the consequences are going to be felt not just by us but by the entire world,” the Union Minister stated.

“Given the Arctic’s trajectory, its impact will be global, making it everyone’s concern. Warming is opening new routes, while technological and resource dimensions are set to reshape the global economy. For India, this matters deeply as our economic growth accelerates,” Jaishankar added. 

(With ANI inputs)