Poland has praised India’s role in trying to prevent the Russia-Ukraine war from spiralling further, with Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the few world leaders whose views are taken seriously by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He also referred to developments in late 2022, claiming that PM Modi had played a role in persuading Russia against using tactical nuclear weapons during the war.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Bartoszewski said India’s decades-old relationship with Russia gives New Delhi a unique position, making it an important player in efforts to push for peace.
#WATCH | Delhi: On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Secretary of State of the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, says, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very well-known world statesman, who is very respected, and India has a long-standing relationship… pic.twitter.com/R38wQurE9u
— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2026
“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.
The Polish minister went a step further, saying PM Modi is among the handful of leaders who can influence the Russian president at a time when communication with Moscow has become increasingly difficult.
“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.
According to Bartoszewski, appeals for restraint carry greater weight when they come from countries that Russia does not consider hostile. Along with India, he also mentioned China as a country whose voice matters 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.
Poland Says Oil Differences With India Have Eased
Bartoszewski also said Poland and India have moved past their differences over New Delhi’s imports of discounted Russian crude oil.
He acknowledged that Warsaw had previously criticised India’s purchases, arguing they indirectly supported Russia’s wartime economy. At the same time, he said Poland understood why India chose to buy the oil because of the significant price advantage. According to him, both countries now have a better understanding of each other’s positions, and the issue is no longer a major sticking point.
“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.
Putin’s Praise For PM Modi
The remarks come just weeks after Putin praised India’s independent foreign policy, saying attempts by other countries to pressure PM Modi over New Delhi’s ties with Moscow would be useless.
“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.
