The European Union, providing military aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, has appealed for restraint from India and Pakistan, prompting widespread criticism of the EU. The EU's Vice President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kajal Kallas, spoke with India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar over the phone, stating that "increased tensions benefit no one."
Kajal Kallas overlooked Pakistan's support for terrorism, which India has suffered from for decades. Social media and foreign policy experts have labeled this 'equidistant policy' of Kallas as hypocritical and biased.
EU's Hypocrisy Exposed
However, foreign policy experts and a segment of social media quickly highlighted Kallas' double standards, pointing to her previous posts related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine where she openly stated that "defense is not provocation" and "the aggressor must be stopped." She wrote, "If you do not stop the aggressor, it will never stop."
Also Read:
Source: aajtak
Kallas wrote in another post, "I hope Europe has learned that appeasement only emboldens the aggressor. The aggressor will not stop unless stopped." In another post, defending Europe's military support to Ukraine, Kallas said, "Defense is not provocation."
Source: aajtak
Experts Hold Up a Mirror
One analyst tweeted, "The EU's statement once again places India and Pakistan on the same scale, despite the ground realities being entirely different." A foreign policy lecturer tweeted, "Clearly, most Indians have little expectation from Europe regarding Pakistan, given its historical record." The EU is Pakistan's second-largest trading partner, and the two have maintained close ties for years.
Source: aajtak
Also Read:
ORF Senior Fellow Sushant Sareen tweeted, "Dialogue and diplomacy have failed to stop Pakistan's cross-border terrorism. If the EU truly understood the region's dynamics, it wouldn't make such superficial comments." Sushant Sareen tweeted, "If you had any information, you'd know that attempts at dialogue and diplomacy have been repeatedly made (alongside the deaths of Indians at the hands of Pakistani Islamic terrorists), and you've overlooked Pakistan's actions. Please explain what dialogue and diplomacy have achieved so far?"
Source: aajtak
Carnegie's Visiting Fellow Oliver Blarel remarked that Europe's "equidistant" stance is disappointing. "It reflects a lack of understanding and sensitivity (India has provided evidence to Pakistan multiple times after such incidents, yet to no avail). Asking India to quietly wait is unacceptable."
Jaishankar's Past Statement Resurfaces
Following this statement, many recalled Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar's remarks from two years ago highlighting European hypocrisy on global issues. Jaishankar had said, "Europe must realize that its issues aren't the world's issues, but the world's issues are insignificant to it." The EU's stance not only overlooks India's sovereignty and security concerns but also exposes its double standards.
