‘We need partners, not preachers:’ Jaishankar slams Europe after restraint call on Pahalgam

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday (May 4) slammed Europe and said in a veiled dig that New Delhi needed partners and not “preachers” in the evolving multipolar world. The top diplomat further added that Europe was not able to adjust to the shifting global power equation and it must change its approach.

His statement comes days after EU High Representative Kaja Kallas urged both India and Pakistan to show restraint amidst increased tensions in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the death of 26 people. Her comments were criticised in India as observers accused EU of drawing a false equivalence between victim and aggressor and turning a blind eye to Pakistan’s role in cross-border terrorism.

‘Need partners, not preachers’

Speaking at the Arctic Circle India Forum 2025 in New Delhi, Jaishankar said, “When we look at the world, we look for partners, we don’t look for preachers. Particularly, preachers who don’t practice at home what they preach abroad. Some of Europe is still struggling with that problem. Europe has entered a certain zone of reality check. Whether they are able to step up or not is something we will have to see. If we have to develop a partnership, there has to be some understanding, sensitivity, mutuality of interest and a realisation of how the world works.”

The minister further said that the US had become self-sufficient in recent times but Europe is under pressure to change.

“We have now reached a size and a stage where almost anything consequential that happens in any corner of the world matters to us. The United States is much more self-sufficient today than it has been in a long time. Europe is today under pressure to change. The realities of multipolarity are dawning on it. I think it has still not adjusted and absorbed it fully. The US has dramatically changed positions. The Chinese are doing what they were doing. We are going to see an arena of contestation, which is not going to be easy to recall. We are looking at a much more contested world, much sharper competition,” Jaishankar said.

India’s growing role in the Arctic

Jaishankar stressed India’s growing participation in the areas around the North and South Poles. He noted that India has had a continuous presence in Antarctica for more than four decades and has recently increased its involvement in the Arctic through a specific national policy and by working with other countries.

He also brought attention to the Arctic’s importance, both strategically and environmentally, saying that what happens in that region will have significant effects worldwide, particularly for a country like India, which has a large young population.

“We have had a growing involvement with the Arctic. We had an even earlier involvement with the Antarctic, which is now more than 40 years. We have come up a few years ago with an Arctic policy. We have agreements with KSAT on Svalbard, which is relevant to our space. As the country with the most young people on this planet, what happens in the Arctic is of extreme importance to us…Given the direction in which things are moving, the consequences are going to be felt not just by us but by the entire world,” the foreign minister said