Can EU and India work together to secure Indo-Pacific?

The European Union is vying for a larger role in Indo-Pacific security as the United States shifts its focus away from the Eastern Hemisphere. India, with its rising economy and global ambitions, is seeking new allies and has turned to the European bloc for closer defense ties.

In January, India and the EU signed a Security and Defense Partnership, followed by their first formal Security and Defense Dialogue in March. The two sides have since held multiple meetings, including the fifth Maritime Security Dialogue in Brussels last month.

Despite these steps, working together in the Indo-Pacific remains a challenge. India and European countries have different defense priorities, and Europe's capacity to expand its role is constrained by other security crises.

Europe's ability to act is limited by distractions such as the conflict in Ukraine, which is of existential importance for the continent. However, France is a notable exception, with an established military presence in the Indian Ocean through its territories of Reunion Island and Mayotte.

Javed Ashraf, another Indian diplomat, said France has been a strong, trusted, and consistent security partner across the full spectrum of defense cooperation. He added that France stands out for India because it currently has no defense cooperation with Pakistan or with China.

The acceptance that the two may not always agree or be in a position to cooperate makes the partnership easier, according to Ashraf.

EU unity and national priorities

While France remains the EU's only nuclear power and maintains its strongest military force, a cooperation between Paris and New Delhi does not automatically translate into a coherent European security role across the Indo-Pacific.

Europe as an entity has very little role in the Indo-Pacific security despite the announcement of a strategy in 2025, according to Tara Kartha, a former member of India's National Security Council Secretariat. She pointed to political differences among EU members as an obstacle to a coherent security outlook.

Those differences were on display during the EU's October 15–16 summit in Brussels, where leaders reaffirmed support for Ukraine but also signaled disagreements over funding and national priorities.

This has led to much of the cooperation between India and Europe taking place between New Delhi and individual European nations. Germany, Spain, Italy, and Poland have all emerged as important partners.

Brussels could signal broader support for its member states' partnerships with India and provide access to EU-funded programs, boosting cooperation in areas such as maritime security, space, critical minerals, chips, and defense technologies.

Germany and emerging technologies

Germany, the EU's largest economy, has become a defense partner for India, including through major equipment purchases. India could push for its relationship with Berlin to include industrial partnerships and technology development.

India is also becoming an important source of defense supplies for a re-arming Europe. There may also be opportunities to share experience in emerging areas of warfare.

However, experts warn that closer defense ties should not be confused with a shared strategic outlook, as European countries have their own priorities.

Russia and China as obstacles

The differences between Brussels and New Delhi are particularly clear when it comes to Russia and China. India still relies heavily on Russian equipment and technology, even as it seeks to diversify its defense supplies.

European governments have been engaged in a tense standoff with Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. That creates a problem for those seeking to deepen defense industry ties.

China presents a different but equally important challenge. For India, China is a rival and source of major security issues, including an ongoing border dispute. While the EU also sees China as a 'systemic rival,' its members differ in how they balance security concerns with their economic relationships with China.

These differences complicate attempts to develop a shared assessment of Indo-Pacific threats. On a geopolitical level, India wants partnerships that strengthen its capabilities without requiring it to align fully with another power's strategic priorities.

Cooperation without a security umbrella

The new India-EU partnership creates a framework for closer engagement, but it does not amount to a joint security commitment. Ashraf said the two sides could strengthen their mutual capabilities but were unlikely to exercise a visible influence on the global security order.

For now, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing, defense technology, and selective industrial cooperation offer more realistic prospects than a common security role of the EU and India across the Indo-Pacific.