A claim by Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister has thrust PM Modi into the spotlight of the Russia-Ukraine war, with the senior diplomat saying the Indian Prime Minister played a key role in persuading Russian President Vladimir Putin not to use tactical nuclear weapons in late 2022. Speaking after the India-Poland Joint Economic Commission meeting in New Delhi, Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski said Modi is among the very few world leaders whose words carry weight with Putin because of India’s decades-long relationship with Russia. The remarks have revived discussion over India’s behind-the-scenes diplomacy at a time when the Ukraine war has entered its fourth year.
Reportedly, according to Bartoszewski, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very well-known world statesman, who is very respected. India has a long-standing relationship with the Russian Federation and, before that, with the Soviet Union. President Putin actually pays attention to what Prime Minister Modi tells him.”
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Explaining why he believes PM Modi has unusual influence over the Russian President, Bartoszewski pointed to India’s long-standing strategic ties with Moscow. He then made a striking claim about a crucial phase of the Ukraine war.
“I mentioned the role Prime Minister Modi played in stopping Putin from using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine at the end of 2022. Prime Minister Modi is one of the few people who can actually exert some pressure and influence on President Putin, and that is clearly something India could do to help stop this conflict,” Bartoszewski said, as per reports.
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The statements made by the Polish minister also redirected attention to the diplomatic approach adopted by PM Modi ever since the crisis began. In September 2022, at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation held in Uzbekistan, PM Modi had informed Putin that “the era today is not an era of war.”
However, Prime Minister Modi remains actively involved in talking to both the Presidents of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He had met President Zelenskyy in Ukraine in 2024 and also remained in touch with him through multilateral summits.
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India has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia and has continued buying discounted Russian crude, arguing that the decision is driven by energy security and national interest. Last month, Putin described India as a “great country” and defended New Delhi’s independent foreign policy.
Bartoszewski also praised PM Modi’s approach to the Iran conflict. “Because you are a big country, an important country, and you benefit from free access to goods, including oil, and you depend very much on the oil and gas from the Gulf. Poland still maintains contact with Iran… We informed them that our preferred solution is a diplomatic one. So we do the same thing as Prime Minister Modi. We try to talk reason, but to moderate effect, I would say,” he said, as per reports.
The Polish minister further reiterated Warsaw’s support for India’s long-standing bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, underscoring Poland’s backing for New Delhi’s growing role in global diplomacy.
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Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
