New Delhi: Poland’s deputy foreign minister, Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski, said India’s diplomatic engagement with Russia played an important role during a critical phase of the Ukraine war in 2022, stating that the prime minister, Narendra Modi, was among the few world leaders whose views carried weight with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at a press conference after the India-Poland joint economic commission meeting in New Delhi, Bartoszewski said Russia’s leadership pays close attention to PM Modi’s views because of the decades-old strategic partnership between India and Russia, which dates back to the Soviet era.
Referring to the final months of 2022, when global concern had intensified over the possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the Polish minister said PM Modi played an important role in persuading president Putin against taking such a step. He added that the Indian leader remains one of the few international figures capable of exercising influence over the Russian president and suggested that India could continue to contribute to efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
India has maintained a consistent position since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, urging both sides to pursue dialogue and diplomacy while avoiding direct alignment with either camp. New Delhi has also continued high-level engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv.
India’s most prominent diplomatic intervention occurred in September 2022 when Modi told president Putin during their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan that “today’s era is not of war.” The comment subsequently gained prominence in international discourse on efforts to de-escalate tensions.
India has not been deterred by sanctions from the West in importing Russian crude at discounted prices. India has been citing its national interests and energy security for its energy purchases. At the same time, Modi has engaged with both Putin and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, including during his visit to Kyiv in 2024.
Bartoszewski also welcomed India’s approach to the Iran conflict, saying both Warsaw and New Delhi favour diplomacy over military escalation. He said Poland continues to maintain communication with Iran while advocating a negotiated solution, adding that India has similarly called for restraint and regional stability.
The Polish minister also reaffirmed Poland’s support for India’s long-standing bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, reiterating Warsaw’s backing for reforms to make the UN’s principal decision-making body more representative.