EU told ‘double standards’ for Ukraine and Gaza hurt relations with Indo-Pacific

Several ministers from Global South nations accused the European Union of “double standards” on Friday over its contrasting policies towards Ukraine and Gaza.

Senior officials attending an Indo-Pacific summit in Brussels took aim at the EU’s perceived inability to “underline the respect of international law in a consistent manner”.

“No state is above the law,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in opening remarks at the event, urging European countries not to withdraw their support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which operates in Gaza.

“I appeal to all of you to listen to your heart and do the right thing, stop the atrocities in Gaza, in Palestine,” she said, adding that “consistency with values and actions reflect sincerity of moral high ground … it shows who we actually are”.

Later, responding to questions from the South China Morning Post, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry echoed Marsudi’s accusations.

“We represent the sentiment of the global south, that there’s double standards when it comes to the Middle East. The conflict needs to be looked at on a merit-based order. There can’t be double standards for what is happening in Ukraine and Middle East,” Sabry said.

The minister added that in all his interactions in Europe, “particularly with younger politicians … most of them feel the credibility of the Western world is at stake unless you treat all of them equally”.

The EU has been unable to come to a united position on the war in Gaza, launched following a terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7. The Israeli bombardment has killed more than 27,000 people in Gaza, the territory’s authorities said on Thursday.

A growing number of EU member states are calling for an immediate and