‘Neocolonialism’: Moscow slams Germany over India purchasing Russian weapons comment

MOSCOW

Moscow on Wednesday slammed as “neocolonialism” recent remarks by the German defense minister who said it is not “in the interests of Berlin” that New Delhi continues buying Russian arms.

“This is about the golden billion, the blooming garden and the jungle, this is the practical dimension of these theoretical concepts, this is neocolonialism,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news conference in Moscow.

Zakharova said India, which has longstanding ties with Russia, is a sovereign country and does not need anyone’s permission to take decisions.

“There was a truly tragic period in the history of India when the British Empire tried to bring it to its knees and make it its own appendage, but nothing came of it, they in London could not change the nation and civilization called India,” she said. The British Empire ruled the Indian subcontinent from 1858 until 1947, when it was partitioned into two sovereign countries: India and Pakistan.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, ahead of his visit to New Delhi, told DW on Monday that Berlin is ready to supply submarines to India to reduce its “dependence” on arms supplies from Russia.

Pistorius argued that countries such as Indonesia and India could become part of a global coalition as “reliable partners” to “protect the rules-based order.”​​​​​​​

• Boris Pistorius
• India
• Maria Zakharova
• neocolonialism