"Dreadful Wars Should End": EU Foreign Affairs Chief Backs PM Modi's Peace Push

As the Russia-Ukraine war drags past four and a half years, a senior European lawmaker is making a direct appeal to India. David McAllister, Chair of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, told NDTV's Foreign Affairs Editor Aditya Raj Kaul that India "is one of the players who might be able to navigate and negotiate between Moscow and Kyiv."

Praise For India's Role

Asked whether India could do more, McAllister started with a compliment. "First of all, let me commend the positive role India has played. India is a peace-loving nation."

He welcomed India's contribution on specific issues, including the safety of shipping in the Black Sea. "India has traditionally good contacts to Russia. But Prime Minister Modi also visited Kyiv and has also established contacts to President Zelenskyy."

The question put to him referred to PM Modi's repeated message that this is not an era of war, and to his recent meetings with President Putin. McAllister did not criticise India's strategic autonomy. He framed India as a possible bridge: "to find a sustainable and just solution for this war."

The Indian Human Cost

McAllister also raised the Indian lives lost. "We have seen the ships which were sunk in the Black Sea. It was sailors of Indian nationality which drowned, which were killed. Indian citizens have lost their lives in the Black Sea. That is a tragedy."

He added that grain movement disruptions "have a huge impact on India, as we all know."

Europe's Red Lines

His message to Moscow was blunt. "This is an illegal war of aggression. It violates the United Nations Charter." Europe wants the war to end, he said, but "it needs to be a just and sustainable solution, which includes absolute concrete security guarantees for Ukraine."

He placed the conflict in historic terms. "We are witnessing the worst war in Europe since 1945. It is already lasting longer than the First World War, and it might soon even last longer than the Second World War."

Europe's Own Defence Reset

McAllister said Europe must carry more of its own security burden. "We Europeans need to do more for our own security and defense. That is part of our strategic sovereignty." He wants "a European defense union," but stressed it is "not against NATO. It's not in competition with NATO."

He argued the current balance is unfair. "The United States are spending more than 60 per cent of all NATO costs, all other member states 40. That's why we Europeans are increasing our defense spending."

The Supply-Chain Lesson

The sharpest message was on economic dependence. McAllister said Europe learned the hard way from its reliance on Russian energy. "President Putin used this as a political tool against us to try to put us under pressure."

His prescription was not isolation. "When it comes to international trade, I'm against decoupling from certain countries. But we need to de-risk. And how do the English say? 'Don't put your eggs in one basket'." He advised: "Diversify your supply chains. Don't create new dependencies. Try to be as interconnected with the world as possible."

That, he said, is the logic behind the India-EU free trade agreement. "These wars and these international crises have shown how vulnerable our economies are, and we have to strengthen our resilience."

Democracies Under Pressure

McAllister also warned of rising polarisation, citing "malign actors who are not interested in democracy" who exploit open societies. He backed peaceful protest but drew a line: "I am very much in favor of the right to demonstrate, but I'm against if demonstrators turn violent." He called for respect between political rivals: "He or she is not my opponent, she's a competitor."

His closing wish was simple: "We want that these dreadful wars come to an end. Far too many people are being killed every day."