The Indo-Pacific has emerged as a central theatre in global geopolitics, reshaping power dynamics amid China’s rise and concentrated global efforts to challenge its growing assertiveness. As a major power in the region, India’s interests are deeply tied to every strategic shift in the Indo-Pacific. The International Institute for Strategic Studies’ recent report, More or Less? European Defence Engagement in the Indo-Pacific in the Second Trump Administration offers a comprehensive assessment of Europe’s evolving role in this context. Authored by Ben Schreer, Executive Director of IISS-Europe, the report examines Europe’s shifting defence priorities in the face of China’s rise, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and growing uncertainties about the United States’s strategic direction under President Donald Trump. For Indian policymakers, the report not only provides insight into evolving European strategic thinking but also highlights emerging economic and defence opportunities that India can capitalise on if it prepares proactively and strategically.
A key takeaway from the report is that Europe increasingly views the Indo-Pacific as a strategically important region, directly linked to its own security. It asserts that European countries no longer see China primarily as an economic partner, but as a strategic competitor, especially in defence and technology domains. For India, a regional player that has experienced China’s assertiveness both along the Himalayan frontier and in the Indian Ocean region, this growing European awareness is a welcome development. Moreover, both India and European powers share similar concerns over China’s military expansion, cyber intrusion, and tightening control over critical global supply chains.
For India, this emerging shift in European strategic thinking offers not only an opportunity to deepen defence partnerships with major European powers such as Germany, France, and Italy, but also a potential economic opportunity, if India is prepared to fill the vacuum left by China in the European market. Germany, which until recently regarded China as a key economic partner, now identifies Beijing as a systemic rival and has increased its military deployments to the Indo-Pacific. France, with its overseas territories in the region, is already one of the most active powers in the Indo-Pacific. Italy, though less vocal, is also making significant inroads in the region by deploying naval assets and strengthening defence industrial ties with regional powers.
The report also highlights two major limitations of European powers that must be taken into account while considering their role in supporting the Indo-Pacific security architecture. First, despite increased deployments in the Indo-Pacific, most European powers face resource constraints and remain primarily focused on defending the Euro-Atlantic theatre because of uncertainty over the security guarantee from the United States under the Trump administration. Second, European unity on China is far from assured, as some countries continue to maintain deep economic ties with Beijing. Therefore, India must adopt a pragmatic approach while leveraging growing European interests in the Indo-Pacific to balance against China.
Specifically, the IISS report suggests that the Indo-Pacific is now a permanent fixture in Europe’s strategic thinking, although European engagement in the region comes with certain limitations. The challenge for India is to transform shared concerns and interests into structured cooperation with the European powers that supports both regional stability and India’s strategic autonomy.
