**Finland President Alexander Stubb Emphasizes Importance of Western Engagement with India**
Finland President Alexander Stubb has highlighted that India has both economy and demography on its side, positioning it as an emerging superpower. He urged Western countries not to group India together with Russia and China, emphasizing the need for the West to engage more closely with India.
Western nations, led by the United States, have repeatedly expressed concern over India’s close ties with Russia, particularly regarding their trade relations following the war in Ukraine. India’s crude oil purchases from Russia have been a notable topic of discussion, despite India’s calls for bilateral dialogue to resolve the conflict.
“There is some multi-vectoral foreign policy at play,” said Stubb during an appearance on Bloomberg Podcasts. “Of course, Russia and China have a direct connection. In the early 1990s, China and Russia had economies of the same size, but now China is over ten times bigger. With its oil and gas purchases, as well as technological exchanges, Russia gets the support it needs to continue the war, so there is a very close link there.”
He continued, “With India, however, it is different. India is a very close ally of the European Union and also of the United States. I wouldn’t throw them in the same basket. India is obviously an emerging superpower with strong demographics and economic growth. I always argue that it is very important for the West to engage and work with India.”
Earlier on the same day, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed similar views in a conversation with Fox News journalist and conservative commentator Brett Baier. Zelenskyy appeared to disagree with Baier’s suggestion that India was “contributing” to the war in Ukraine, referring to India’s crude oil purchases. New Delhi has maintained it will continue these purchases in a way that benefits its own people.
“I think India is mostly with us,” Zelenskyy said. “Yes, we have these questions over energy, but I think that President Trump can manage it.”
The Ukrainian President’s comments on Fox News seemed to contrast with the stance taken by the United States, a major weapons supplier to Ukraine. The Trump administration has accused India of indirectly funding the war in Ukraine and imposed tariff penalties on India for buying Russian crude oil.
As international dynamics shift, the statements of these leaders underscore the complexities of geopolitical alliances and the importance of nuanced engagement with emerging powers like India.
https://www.news18.com/world/emerging-superpower-finland-urges-eu-to-engage-india-not-club-it-with-russia-china-ws-kl-9593323.html