Finland President Alexander Stubb has highlighted that India possesses both economic strength and a favorable demographic profile. He emphasized that the West should not group India together with Russia and China, urging Western countries to engage more closely with India.
Western nations, led by the United States, have on multiple occasions expressed disapproval of India’s close ties with Russia, particularly regarding trade relations following the war in Ukraine. India’s crude oil purchases from Russia have been a particular point of concern, despite India’s advocacy for bilateral dialogue to end the conflict.
“There is some multi-vectoral foreign policy taking place,” said Stubb in an appearance on Bloomberg Podcasts. He elaborated, “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’s economy is over ten times bigger. With its oil purchases, gas purchases, and technological exchanges, Russia has the means to conduct the war, so there’s a very close link there.”
Stubb further distinguished India’s position, stating, “With India, it is a very close ally of the European Union and, of course, the United States as well. I wouldn’t throw them in the same basket. India is obviously an emerging superpower. It has demography, it has economy on its side, and I always argue that it’s very important for the West to engage India and work with them.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to echo similar sentiments during a conversation with Fox News journalist and conservative commentator Brett Baier. Zelenskyy seemed to differ from Baier’s suggestion that India was “contributing” to the war in Ukraine through its crude oil purchases. New Delhi has maintained it will continue these purchases in a way that benefits its own people.
“I think India is mostly with us. Yes, we have these questions with energy, but I think that President Trump can manage it,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian President’s comments on Fox news appeared to contrast with the stance of the United States, a major weapons supplier to Ukraine in its conflict against Russia. The US has accused India of funding the war in Ukraine. Moreover, former US President Donald Trump imposed tariff penalties on India for buying Russian crude oil.
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