"We'll remain critical of any country aiding Russia's war in Ukraine...":Danish ambassador on India buying Russian oil

New Delhi [India], August 7 : Danish Ambassador to India Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen said Denmark and the European Union remain critical of any country aiding Russia's war in Ukraine, while commenting on India's continued purchase of Russian oil.

"Whatever country that clearly aids and abets Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, we would remain critical of," he said in an interview with ANI. "Whomever aids and abets the Russian war in Ukraine, it's not something we condone or necessarily like," he added.

He also expressed concern over the shadow fleet transporting Russian oil to India. "These are ships that are not registered. Typically, you cannot see where they are on the map, and they're not insured. You can reach all kinds of environmental disasters coming out of that," Kristensen said.

Explaining Europe's position, the ambassador said, "From a European perspective, Russia's invasion of a sovereign country... was a blatant violation of principles in the UN Charter. This becomes existential to us, because who will be the next country?"

He clarified that the EU's position is not about denying others access to Russian energy. "We are not necessarily saying that you cannot buy oil from Russia. But our dependence has gone down to a very low point. We are trying to get out of it and we are almost there," he noted.

In response to India's charge of double standards, Kristensen acknowledged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's criticism. "That's a fair point," he said, in reference to Jaishankar pointing out that European nations also purchased energy from Russia during the war.

On whether current geopolitical shifts, including tariffs, were pushing India closer to Russia and China, Kristensen said, "We are, of course, both critical and sceptical from a Danish perspective of the increased alignment between Russia and China."

Asked about India being called a "dead economy" by some Western commentators, the ambassador firmly disagreed. "On the contrary, it's the world's fastest-growing economy. A testament to that fact is that the EU and India are negotiating a free trade agreement. I think that would be mutually beneficial," he said.

He added that the EU-India free trade agreement has been in the works for over a decade, but negotiations have picked up speed. "We are close to reaching a deal and I remain confident," he said. "Certainly from a Danish, European perspective, we see India as a very promising place to invest and do business with. That would not be the case if it was a dead economy."

On India's tariff regime, he said the EU acknowledges India's need to protect certain sectors. "If you have high tariffs, of course, the alternative is you come here and you manufacture in India," Kristensen said.

"We are in favour of a rules-based international order where it's not a question of the big players just dictating what small players should do," he said, adding that the EU believes in good-faith negotiations that are mutually beneficial.

Drawing a comparison with India's reaction to terror attacks, Kristensen said Europe's response to the Ukraine war is similarly rooted in existential concern. "This becomes existential to us... I think that's not too different from what you expect from other countries when it came to the attack in Pahalgam," he said.

He also recalled Denmark's swift condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. "We have our own experiences... This has been a very consistent part of Danish foreign policy to speak out against any kind of terrorism," he said.

Describing India-Denmark ties, the ambassador called it a "perfect match" and said the year 2020 marked a turning point in elevating the relationship.

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