Don’t tie India-China face-off to Ukraine: Jaishankar to Europe

Islam News- Indian Foreign minister S Jaishankar slammed Europe again on Friday for thinking “Europe’s problems are world’s problems” as he reiterated that India is not sitting on the fence on the Ukraine issue and rejected suggestions that New Delhi’s “support” for Russia could affect the international community’s support for India in its tensions with China.
Jaishankar also said Europe itself, while complaining about India’s oil imports from Russia, had designed its sanctions on Russia keeping in mind its gas requirements and welfare of the people. “Is buying Russian gas not funding the war? Is it only Indian money and oil coming to India that funds it, but not the gas coming to Europe? Let’s be a little even-handed out here,” he said.
Participating in a conference in Bratislava, he said the “Chinese do not need a precedent somewhere else on how to engage us or not engage us or be difficult with us or not be difficult with us”. He said Europe has to grow out of the mindset that its problems are the world’s problems but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.
“In terms of the connection you are making, we have a difficult relationship with China and we are perfectly capable of managing it. If I get global understanding and support, obviously it is of help to me,” he said. “But this idea that I do a transaction — I come into one conflict because it will help me in conflict two — that’s not how the world works. A lot of our problems in China have nothing to do with Ukraine and have nothing to do with Russia. They are predated.”
Jaishankar was asked why he thinks anyone will help New Delhi in case of a problem with China after it did not help others for Ukraine. “Somewhere Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe’s problems are the world’s problems but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems. That if it is you, it’s yours, if it is me it is ours. I see reflections of that,” he said.
“If I were to take Europe collectively, which has been singularly silent on many things which were happening, for example in Asia, you could ask why would anybody in Asia trust Europe on anything at all,” he said.
Jaishankar said India condemned the killings in Bucha in Ukraine and favoured an investigation into it as well. “First of all you are mischaracterising our position, for example when Bucha happened, we condemned Bucha and we actually asked for an investigation into Bucha,” he said.