On Tuesday in New Delhi, India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar criticized the European Union for questioning the country’s Russia-Ukraine policy. In response to the challenge to the rules-based system in Asia, Europe recommended that we increase our trade with that region.
Please know that we are not recommending you to do so. You can thus relax. In Jaishankar’s opinion, no country wanted to see rising oil prices, food inflation, and other economic disruptions resulting from the conflict. He asked: “On Afghanistan, please tell me whatever component of the rules-based system. Supports what the world did there.”
He predicted that no one would emerge victorious from this conflict. He was correct. With the expansion of NATO cited by Jaishankar in February, the West was slammed by India’s foreign minister for questioning his country’s oil purchases from Russia, while Europe purchased 15 percent more energy from Russia in March than it did in February, according to the International Energy Agency.
Chinese foreign ministers launched a stinging attack on the foreign ministers of the European Union on Tuesday, targeting at least those from Norway and Luxembourg, in retaliation for Europe’s previous passivity about Chinese expansionism.
“Can we take a step back and put things into perspective?” For us to be able to return to diplomacy and dialogue, the fighting must come to an end. Afterward, the minister stated, “We are making an effort to attain that goal.”
The Raisina Dialogue was taking place, and Jaishankar was giving a lecture to a big group of European foreign ministers. He made it apparent that Europe had been ignorant of the security threats posed by Chinese behavior in Asia, particularly the India-China border issue; even though he claimed that this was an area where boundaries had not been set. He made no mention of China.
There has been a great deal of discussion about what is going on in Europe and how Asia should be concerned since these events could occur here.
Asia has been seeing significant changes during the past ten years. European leaders may not have even contemplated the possibility. “This could serve as a wake-up call for Europe, not only to think about Asia but also to think about Europe in the context of Asia,” the minister suggested.