India and Germany need Russia to stop China: German navy chief

New Delhi – German Naval Chief Kay-Achim Schoenbach straightforwardly presented his country’s stand, ‘India and Germany need Russia against China. Although not a democracy, Russia is vital for India and Germany. China depends on Russian natural resources. Therefore, India and Germany can play an important role in keeping China away from Russia.’ Whereas India welcomed the stand taken by the new German government regarding the Indo-Pacific sector.

Moreover, German Naval Chief Schoenbach is on a visit to India. A new government has come into power in Germany. The visit of German Naval Chief Schoenbach has indicated that the stand of the new German government is different from the old government. Germany has adopted a clear stand against China. At the same time, Germany has also clearly announced its stance regarding Russia. The German Naval Chief presented his government’s stand honestly while addressing a function organised by the think tank Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) in New Delhi.

A destroyer from the German navy is visiting India and the German officials are saying that their country is keen on increasing cooperation with the Indian navy. At the same time, the German Naval Chief met Indian Foreign Secretary Harshvardhan Shringla during his visit. The new government in Germany has adopted a more active stand in the Indo-Pacific region. Foreign Secretary Shringla welcomed this change. Whereas the German Naval Chief presented the stand and policies of his country during his speech at the IDSA.

Furthermore, China is trapping the countries from the African continent in a debt noose. The German Naval Chief said that the Chinese activities in the Indo-Pacific sector are alarming. Besides, he referred to the statements made by one of the political leaders from his country. This German leader said that China is becoming clear that it is not a good country, seeing its current actions. Naval Chief Schoenbach underlined the Chinese threat quoting this statement. If the Chinese might be reduced, China will have to be separated from Russia. Thus, Russia is an essential country for India and Germany. China is dependent on Russian natural resources to a large extent. Naval chief Schoenbach said that taking this into account, India and Germany should take steps to increase cooperation with Russia. Russia and Germany have jointly developed the Nord Stream 2 project, and it is being claimed that the project will soon be implemented. But the United States is bitterly opposed to this project and some European countries also are opposing this project.

Germany pointed out that cooperation with Russia is mandatory to stop China in this scenario. According to analysts, India had also attempted to convince the United States regarding this in various ways. Therefore, it is apparent that the Indian and German stands are likewise. German Naval Chief Schoenbach seems to have delivered this message to Europe as opposed to Russia and the United States, presenting the German stand in clear words.