European Union’s call for India’s restraint: A tale of double standards

Imagine a sports referee cheering one team’s rough moves while scolding the other just for showing up. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, recently did something similar. She told India to “stay calm” in its tensions with Pakistan—while Europe actively backs Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

This didn’t sit well with India. How can the EU push for peace in one region but encourage military action in another? Kallas even posted online urging India to “de-escalate” with Pakistan. Yet when Russia invaded Ukraine, she said, “Defence isn’t provocation,” and rallied support for arming Ukraine.

That’s a clear double standard. Why is Europe’s self-defence justified, but India’s response to cross-border threats isn’t? It feels like the EU sees South Asia’s security concerns as less important. This approach isn’t just unfair—it makes the EU look inconsistent and out of touch. Asking India to hold back while Europe charges ahead? It’s a bad look.

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The tensions between India and Pakistan are a global concern, especially in light of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Given the history of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, any escalation could have disastrous results. Though its selective outrage—denouncing Russia as a “terror state” while soft-pedalling Pakistan’s role in terrorism—has drawn harsh criticism, the EU’s call for dialogue reflects its larger push for diplomatic solutions in international conflicts. Kallas has come under fire from Indian experts and social media users who claim that the EU expects India to support Europe’s wars while tolerating terrorism on its territory. This hypocrisy emphasises the need for fair international diplomacy and feeds mistrust in international organisations.

Shortly after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that was widely ascribed to militants supported by Pakistan, Kallas posted on social media, urging India and Pakistan to “exercise restraint”. Although diplomatic, her remarks downplayed India’s justifiable security concerns in favour of portraying the conflict as a mutual need for peace. Compare this to how she feels about Ukraine: Kallas has continuously defended Europe’s military assistance to Kyiv, contending that arming Ukraine is a legitimate reaction to Russian aggression. She is pushing India to negotiate with Pakistan, a country India accuses of sponsoring terrorism, despite her well-known statement in 2022 that “we don’t negotiate with terrorists”, which was directed at Russia. This inconsistency has not been overlooked.

When Europe faced its own crisis in Ukraine, the EU expected global solidarity, including from India, which maintained a neutral stance. Yet, when India grapples with terrorism, the EU offers little more than platitudes. The EU’s failure to condemn Pakistan’s role in terrorism while labelling Russia a “terror state” further exposes its bias.

What is surprising is the lack of substantive international response. Beyond Kallas’s tepid statement, no major global actor has offered more than ceremonial remarks on the India-Pakistan escalation. This silence contrasts sharply with the EU’s vocal activism on Ukraine, where it has mobilised sanctions, aid, and military support. The EU’s insistence on “dialogue and engagement” for South Asia, while pursuing confrontation in Europe, suggests that it views its own problems as the world’s priority. This Eurocentrism alienates nations like India, which seek fair treatment on the global stage.

The EU can’t have it both ways—cheering for guns in one corner of the world while preaching peace in another. Kaja Kallas’s call for India’s restraint isn’t just hypocritical; it’s a wake-up call for the Global South to demand equal respect. If defence isn’t provocation in Ukraine, it shouldn’t be in India either. As the world watches and the situation along the India-Pakistan border remains tense, the EU must decide: will it be a fair referee or a biased cheerleader? For now, its double standards are louder than its diplomacy, and India deserves better than a lecture from Europe’s ivory towers.

The writer is a columnist. His articles have appeared in various publications like The Independent, The Globe and Mail, South China Morning Post, The Straits Times, etc. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.