It is not in Germany's interest for India to remain dependent on Russian weapons, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday during a tour of the region to shore up defense partnerships, Ednews reports citing DW.
India has long relied on Russia for its defense needs and has also become a major buyer of discounted Russian crude oil since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, says the source.
"It is not up to Germany to change that on our own," Pistorius told DW's chief political correspondent Nina Haase in an exclusive interview in Jakarta, Indonesia.
"This is an issue we have to solve jointly with other partners. But of course, we can't have an interest in the long run that India is so dependent on Russia's delivery of weapons or other materials."
Pistorius was in the Indonesian capital ahead of a four-day trip to India, where he will be accompanied by representatives from Germany's defense industry.
"I want to send a signal that we are willing to support our partners, our reliable partners like Indonesia, like India," he said.
"And that includes, for example, the possibility of delivering submarines."
His tour of the region kicked off in Singapore at Asia's largest defense summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue, on Sunday.
"I came here because this region will be shaping the 21st century in regards of security, freedom of navigation (and) international economic challenges," Pistorius told DW.
"And therefore, the region is important not only for Germany, but for Europe as a whole."
