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

India and the European Union are working to strengthen their defense ties, but clashing strategic perspectives and varying defense priorities present hurdles to joint ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. As the United States faces pressures in the Eastern Hemisphere, the European Union has sought a larger security role, while a growing Indian economy looks for new partnerships and allies.

Formal diplomatic engagements have steadily increased throughout the year. Following a Security and Defense Partnership signed in January, the two sides held their inaugural Security and Defense Dialogue in March. Additional discussions followed, including the fifth Maritime Security Dialogue hosted in Brussels last month. Despite these diplomatic steps, aligning operational goals in the Indo-Pacific remains difficult due to differing national and regional objectives among European countries.

Differing priorities and internal divisions challenge EU and Indian ambitions for Indo-Pacific security.

Observers note that European attention is frequently divided by other crises. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine consumes significant resources and remains an existential priority for Europe, limiting its capacity to expand operations elsewhere. Nevertheless, France remains an exception because of its established military presence in the Indian Ocean through Reunion Island and Mayotte. Diplomats highlight that France maintains a consistent defense footprint and currently has no active military cooperation with Pakistan or China, making it a particularly trusted partner for New Delhi.

Beyond France, however, Europe struggles to act as a unified security actor in the region. Experts point out that the EU strategy announced for 2025 has yielded limited security outcomes in practice, constrained by political differences among member states. These internal divisions were visible during an October summit in Brussels, where leaders split over funding mechanisms and national priorities.

Consequently, much of the expanding defense relationship continues to occur bilaterally rather than through Brussels. Nations such as Germany, Spain, Italy, and Poland have emerged as significant partners for India. Diplomats suggest that Brussels could bolster these individual ties by granting access to EU-funded initiatives and supporting collaboration in areas like critical minerals, space exploration, microchips, and maritime security.

At the same time, defense trade is evolving. India is emerging as a potential supplier of defense goods for a re-arming Europe. Furthermore, opportunities exist for technological exchange, such as India gaining access to advanced drone technology drawing from European experiences in Ukraine, alongside ongoing industrial and equipment partnerships with major European economies like Germany.