EU flags Russian oil, military drills as it works towards deal with India

REservations from Europe o'er India's ties with russian federation persist in even out as it speaks of a deeper mutual human relationship with New Delhi.The India-Russia relationship was flagged by one of the EU's top leaders among factors that "stand in the way of closer ties", while its governing body president spoke of taking the EU-India partnership “to the next level” and “finalising our trade agreement by end of the year”.“Now is the time to double down on partnerships rooted in shared interests and guided by common values,” Ursula von der Leyen, who is president of the European Commission, the main governing branch of the EU, posted on X.But Kaja Kallas, a vice-president of the commission and EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy, spoke against India's participation in military exercises with Russia and its purchases of oil, when Vladimir Putin continues the war on Ukraine."Ultimately, our partnership is not only about trade, but also about defending the rules-based international order," Kallas said, while announcing the bloc's strategy to strengthen EU-India ties.The strategy includes a bid to build stronger ties on defence and security as well.India, among other Moscow allies like Iran, has taken part in Russia's Zapad (West) joint drills with Belarus this month."Participating in military exercises, purchases of oil — all these are obstacles to our cooperation when it comes to deepening the ties," Kallas said.The EU is India's largest trading partner, after a growth of over 90% over the past decade, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said alongside Kallas in Brussels.The Russia question notwithstanding, the EU and India are working to conclude talks on a free trade agreement by the end of 2025 amid New Delhi's own tensions with the US over similar questions.US-India ties were strained after President Donald Trump raised tariffs on most Indian exports to 50% in August over the continued purchases of Russian oil. India has defended its sovereign right to buy as per national interest, and pointed out that even after the war began in Ukraine, the US had in fact encouraged it to make these purchases to keep global oil prices in check.But tensions on the US-India tariff front have since cooled, and talks for a deal resumed, after Trump and PM Narendra Modi exchanged admiration posts on social media, followed by a ‘happy birthday’ call by the US President to the Indian leader on Tuesday night.India has kept a neutral stance “for peace” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict even though US officials even called it “Modi's war” as they said India's purchase of oil was “funding Putin's war machine”.Trump has also termed the situation “more of a Europe problem”.Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky at one point criticised India, too, but he too is under US pressure to concede ground for peace with Russia.(with AFP inputs)