India wants partners, not preachers:  External Affairs Minister

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized India’s focus on “partners” rather than “preachers” in response to the Ukraine conflict.
• He emphasized the importance of mutual interest and sensitivity in Europe’s geopolitical upheavals.
• Jaishankar emphasized India’s advocacy for “Russia realism” and the “important fit” between India and Russia as a resource provider and consumer.
• Despite criticism from the West, India maintains its ties with Russia are driven by national interest.
• Jaishankar criticized the West’s attempts to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict without involving Russia, arguing it challenged the basics of realism.
• He emphasized India’s caution in prescribing solutions and urged Europe to act based on mutual interest rather than ideological differences.