The European Union (EU) on Wednesday (Sep 17) cautioned that India’s strong links with Russia, through oil imports and joint military drills, could affect its relations with the bloc. The warning comes as Brussels works to wrap up a free trade deal with New Delhi and boost defence ties during a time of global uncertainty.

EU foreign policy chief Kallas, while unveiling the ‘New Strategic EU-India Agenda’, said the partnership between India and the EU was broader than just economics.
“Ultimately, our partnership is not only about trade, but also about defending the rules-based international order,” Kallas stated.

She added that India’s cooperation with Moscow in areas such as oil and defence drills was creating hurdles.
“Participating in military exercises, purchases of oil, all these are obstacles to our cooperation when it comes to deepening the ties,” Kallas said.

Earlier this month, India joined Russia’s Zapad (West) military exercises, held along with Belarus and Iran near NATO borders. The EU acknowledged that while it did not expect India to fully break away from Russia, both sides needed to keep discussing their differences.

The development comes at a time when US President Donald Trump is pushing the EU to act tough on India and China. Last week, he urged the bloc to impose heavy tariffs on the two countries over their Russian oil purchases, saying it would increase pressure on Moscow to stop the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Washington and New Delhi are also holding talks to create a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). On Tuesday (Sep 17), US and Indian officials met in New Delhi for the first round of negotiations since Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.

Despite tensions, India and the EU are moving forward with discussions to finalise a free trade agreement by the end of this year.

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