EU aims to strengthen ties with India despite Modi's Putin links

The EU called for closer ties with India yesterday while admitting there was no “mutual understanding” with Narendra Modi’s government over Russia’s war on Ukraine.

- Jennifer Rankin Brussels Jakub Krupa

The EU’s most senior diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and lead negotiator on trade, Maroš Šefčovič, outlined an EU-Indiastrategy as part of Europe’s drive to build and strengthen alliances in a world shaken by Donald Trump’s challenges to the postwar order. But they did not attempt to hide differences with New Delhi after Indian forces took part this week in Russia’s military exercises in Belarus that simulated a war with Nato countries.

Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia, one of the EU states seen as vulnerable to a Russian attack, said: “This is a great concern for our countries. If you want closer ties with us, then why participate in exercises that are an existential threat to us?”