Indian Foreign Minister on Europe, China and Donald Trump

Euractiv spoke to Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during his visit to Brussels, where he met with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas.

The EU is in the midst of negotiating a major free trade agreement with India , a country seeking to diversify its partnerships in the face of Russia's rapprochement with China. Jaishankar argues that India—a nation of 1.4 billion people—offers a skilled workforce and a more trustworthy economic partnership than China.

What follows is an edited and translated transcript of the conversation.

You are here in Brussels, just weeks after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam—in Indian-administered Kashmir—that killed 26 people. Yet many international media outlets have portrayed the subsequent events as acts of retaliation between two nuclear-armed neighbors. Why is India's message not getting through?

"Let me remind you of something: There was a man named Osama bin Laden. Why did he feel safe enough to live for years in a Pakistani military town, right next to the Pakistani equivalent of West Point?

I want the world to understand: This isn't just an India-Pakistan problem. It's about terrorism. And that terrorism will come back to haunt you at some point."

While you are raising the Kashmir issue and India's military response, the EU remains frustrated that India has not joined the sanctions against Russia – or done more to support Ukraine.

"We don't believe that differences can be resolved through war—we don't believe that a solution can be found on the battlefield. It's not our job to dictate what that solution should be. What I'm saying is that we don't want to dictate or judge—but we're not inactive either."

This is precisely the point of criticism: India is not decisive enough in refusing to take sides, even though Russia is clearly the aggressor.

"We also have close relations with Ukraine – it's not just about Russia. But each country, of course, takes into account its own experiences, its history, and its interests.

India has the oldest conflicts—our borders were violated just months after independence when Pakistan sent invaders into Kashmir. And which countries supported this the most? Western countries.

If the same countries that were evasive or reluctant then now say, 'Let's have a great conversation about international principles,' then I think it's fair to ask them to reflect on their own past."

Where does India see itself in the new geopolitical order?

"Multipolarity is already a reality. Europe must now make more decisions in its own interest – using its own capabilities and building on the relationships it maintains around the world.

I hear terms like 'strategic autonomy' in Europe – these were once part of our vocabulary.

The EU is clearly an important pole in the global order – and increasingly an autonomous one. That's precisely why I'm here: to deepen our relations in this multipolar world."

You seem to see the EU as one pole among many – but the EU wants to be more than that. With its Green Deal, it wants to set global standards – including groundbreaking measures such as the CO2 tariff.

"Let's face it—we oppose parts of it. We have very serious reservations about the CBAM [Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism] and have expressed this quite openly. We reject the idea of ​​one part of the world setting standards for everyone else."

Do you trust Donald Trump?

“What do you mean by that?”

Essentially: Does he keep his word? Is he a partner with whom India would like to deepen its relations?

"I take the world as it is. Our goal is to promote all relationships that serve our interests—and relations with the United States are of immense importance to us. It's not about personality X or President Y."

How do you see the development of India's relations with China?

“I have just met several European companies in India that have consciously decided to locate there in order to de-risk their supply chains.

Many companies are becoming increasingly cautious about where they store their data – they would rather keep it in a secure and trusted place than simply focus on efficiency.

Would you really want to put this into the hands of actors you don’t trust?”