Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains one of the few world leaders capable of influencing Russian President Vladimir Putin, and credited the Indian leader with helping prevent a tactical nuclear escalation during the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Speaking at a press briefing, Bartoszewski said India’s long-standing ties with Russia give PM Modi a unique channel of communication with the Kremlin. He added that New Delhi could play an important role in efforts to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end.
Poland says PM Modi has influence over Vladimir Putin
Describing PM Modi as a respected global statesman, Bartoszewski said President Putin takes the Indian Prime Minister’s views seriously.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very respected and very well-known world statesman, 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.
Bartoszewski also referred to what he described as PM Modi’s role during the Ukraine war in late 2022.
“I mentioned the role Prime Minister Modi played in stopping Putin from using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine at the end of 2022. But it’s true, Prime Minister Modi is one of the few people who actually can exert some pressure and influence on President Putin, and that is clearly something India could do to stop this conflict,” he said.
Poland backs India’s approach on West Asia
Commenting on India’s position on the conflict in West Asia, Bartoszewski said Warsaw supports New Delhi’s diplomatic approach.
“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.
Putin recently praised India’s independent foreign policy
The Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.
Last month, President Putin described India as a “great country” and defended its independent foreign policy while criticising attempts by the United States to pressure New Delhi over its ties with Moscow.
Speaking at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, Putin said, “We are glad that India is developing its relations with all the countries. It’s a great country.”
He added, “It’s only natural that it (India) develops its economy in accordance with its interests with those countries that it deems necessary.”
Referring to India’s ties with Russia, Putin said, “The US is trying to pressure India, for example, when it comes to cooperation with Russia. But putting pressure on Narendra Modi is detrimental to international relations and bilateral relations. It doesn’t matter where this pressure comes from.”
Praising India’s economic trajectory, Putin said, “India is one of the leading economies of the world that shows the highest rates of economic growth. This is not something that comes out of the blue. This is a result of the hard work that the government has been doing under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.”
He also said India and Russia continue to share a special and privileged strategic partnership.