BRUSSELS: The European Union has cautioned that its effort to deepen relations with India could face hurdles due to New Delhi’s close ties with Moscow, including its continued purchases of Russian oil and participation in joint military drills. The warning, delivered Wednesday by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, underscores the delicate balance Brussels is trying to maintain as it pursues closer engagement with India while confronting Russia over its war in Ukraine.
The EU is currently pressing to finalize a free trade agreement with India — the world’s most populous nation — and expand cooperation in areas such as defense, technology, and global governance. But Kallas made clear that India’s dealings with Russia complicate these ambitions. “Ultimately, our partnership is not only about trade, but also about defending the rules-based international order,” she said while unveiling a new EU strategy on ties with New Delhi. “Participating in military exercises, purchases of oil — all these are obstacles to our cooperation when it comes to deepening the ties.”
India, along with allies such as Iran, recently took part in Russia’s Zapad (West) military drills, held jointly with Belarus, some of which occurred close to NATO’s borders. The participation highlighted India’s refusal to distance itself from Moscow despite Western sanctions and ongoing conflict in Ukraine. At the same time, India has emerged as one of Russia’s largest oil customers, securing steep discounts that have saved New Delhi billions of dollars while providing Moscow with a vital export market after being cut off from Europe.
Kallas acknowledged, however, that the EU does not expect India to “completely decouple” from Russia, and said the bloc seeks continued dialogue to bridge differences. EU diplomats, mindful of India’s strategic importance, stress that Brussels is unlikely to adopt punitive measures directly against New Delhi. Instead, they suggest that sanctions may target Russian entities operating in India, as in earlier measures taken against Moscow.
The EU’s balancing act comes as global trade tensions sharpen. US President Donald Trump, who has unsettled traditional alliances with tariffs and demands for burden-sharing, recently urged the EU to impose heavy tariffs on India and China to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. EU officials, however, have signaled little appetite for such measures while free trade talks with New Delhi remain ongoing.
Despite the friction over Russia, EU-India relations have deepened in recent years. Trade between the two partners has surged 90 percent over the past decade, making the EU India’s largest trading partner, EU Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said alongside Kallas. Both sides are working toward concluding a long-delayed free trade deal by the end of 2025.
The geopolitical stakes are high. For Brussels, closer engagement with India represents not only an economic opportunity but also a strategic hedge in an era of strained ties with Washington and mounting rivalry with China. For New Delhi, deepening its relationship with the EU offers a valuable counterbalance amid increasingly tense relations with the United States, exacerbated by Trump’s recent decision to hike tariffs on most Indian exports to 50 percent.
Senior officials from both sides are expected to convene a high-level summit early next year to push forward trade negotiations and address strategic issues, even as the shadow of India’s partnership with Moscow looms over the talks.
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