Poland has commended India's efforts to help prevent further escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as one of the rare global leaders whose counsel carries weight with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bartoszewski also pointed to events in late 2022, asserting that PM Modi had contributed to persuading Russia not to deploy tactical nuclear weapons during the war.
In an interview with news agency ANI, the Polish deputy foreign minister said India's longstanding ties with Russia have placed New Delhi in a distinctive diplomatic position, enabling it to play a meaningful role in international attempts to encourage peace.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very well-known world statesman who is very respected, and India has a long-standing relationship with the Russian Federation and, before that, with the Soviet Union as a non-aligned nation. President Putin actually pays attention to what Prime Minister Modi tells him," he said.
He further said that PM Modi is among the limited number of leaders capable of exercising influence over the Russian president at a time when channels of communication with Moscow have narrowed considerably.
"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," he said.
Bartoszewski maintained that calls for de-escalation are likely to have greater impact when they originate from nations that Russia does not regard as adversaries. Besides India, he identified China as another country whose position continues to resonate in Moscow.
"Everybody is against escalation, not only India with Prime Minister Modi but also China's Xi Jinping. It's important, especially when it comes from countries that are not seen as hostile to Russia. India's role here is crucial," he said.
The Polish minister also said that differences between Warsaw and New Delhi over India's purchase of discounted Russian crude oil have largely been resolved.
Recalling Poland's earlier criticism of India's energy imports, Bartoszewski said Warsaw had viewed the purchases as indirectly supporting Russia's wartime economy. However, he added that Poland also recognised the economic rationale behind New Delhi's decision, given the substantial discount on the crude. He said both countries now better appreciate each other's perspectives, and the matter no longer represents a significant point of disagreement.
"I think we were critical about India buying Russian oil. We understood the economic reason for that because it was at a heavy discount, about 40 per cent less than the market price. We understood that, but it was fuelling the Russian war economy. So we had a different view on that," he said.
Bartoszewski's remarks come weeks after President Putin lauded India's independent foreign policy, saying external efforts to pressure PM Modi over New Delhi's relationship with Moscow would not succeed.
"Everyone has understood that putting pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India, which has the largest population in the world, is detrimental for international relations and for bilateral relations," Putin said in a remark on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia.
"It doesn't matter where this pressure comes from. We don't see any negative consequences."
"We are glad that India is developing its relations with all countries it thinks important for its national interests," he added.
