‘We want partners, not preachers’: Jaishankar’s veiled swipe at Europe over global shifts

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday took a veiled swipe at Europe, stating that it is struggling to adapt to the evolving multipolar world order and that India is “looking for partners, not preachers.”

S Jaishankar pointed out that Europe is having difficulty adjusting to the shifting global realities and must seriously reconsider its approach if it desires meaningful cooperation with India.

“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,” Jaishankar said at the Arctic Circle India Forum 2025 in New Delhi.

He also noted that the United States has become more self-sufficient in recent times. “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 is expanding engagement in polar regions: Jaishankar

At the forum, Jaishankar underscored India’s increasing engagement in the polar regions, pointing out that the country has maintained a presence in Antarctica for over 40 years and has recently deepened its Arctic involvement through a dedicated policy and international partnerships.

Highlighting the Arctic's strategic and environmental significance, he stressed that the region’s developments will have far-reaching global implications, especially for a youthful nation like India.

“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 Union Minister said.

He noted that climate change is transforming the Arctic by opening new shipping routes and altering the global economic landscape through technological and resource opportunities.

“Given the Arctic's trajectory, its impact will be global, making it everyone's concern. Warming is opening new routes, while technological and resource dimensions are set to reshape the global economy. For India, this matters deeply as our economic growth accelerates,” Jaishankar added.

He also pointed out how rising global tensions are amplifying the strategic significance of the Arctic.

“Sharpening geopolitical divides have only heightened the Arctic's global relevance. Arctic's future is inextricably linked to what is happening in the world, including the evolving debates within the US political system,” Jaishankar said.

In a post on X, Jaishankar added, "Spoke about the global consequences of developments in the Arctic. And how the changing world order impacts the region. Underlined India's growing responsibilities in the Arctic, recognising opportunities in connectivity, technology, resources, research and space. While also seeking greater understanding of the risks of global warming."

Meanwhile, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, Chairman of the Arctic Circle and former President of Iceland, said that India’s economic future will increasingly depend on access to Arctic resources. He urged Indian economists to pay close attention to the region, noting that shifting global alliances — particularly the collaboration between China and Russia, and evolving US-Russia dynamics — make India’s role crucial in shaping the Arctic's future.