(Bloomberg) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reinforced his message that the war in Ukraine can only be resolved diplomatically ahead of his first visit to Kyiv since Russian forces invaded in 2022.
Speaking in Poland ahead of Friday’s trip, Modi sought to balance ties with the West after facing backlash from the US for his high-profile visit to Russia last month to meet President Vladimir Putin.
India has been central to Ukraine’s efforts to win over the Global South to increase pressure on the Kremlin, but Modi’s government has maintained its deep ties with Russia and refrained from criticizing Moscow for the invasion.
In an appearance in front of journalists in Warsaw on Thursday, Modi made reference to both the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict, saying the fighting is of “deep concern to all of us.” A day before, the Indian leader told a group of Indians living in Poland that “this is not the era of war.”
“No solution can be found on the battlefield,” Modi said alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the first visit by an Indian premier to the country since 1979. “We support dialog and diplomacy for a speedy resolution to the conflicts — and for this India will work with other friendly countries to provide all support.”
Modi has agreed to relay messages between Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy, although won’t play the role of a formal mediator, Bloomberg News reported this week. The stance reflects New Delhi’s close political and economic links with Russia, which supplies India with cheap oil and weapons.
Cooperation With Poland
India has “substantive and independent ties with both Russia and Ukraine,” Tanmaya Lal, secretary for the West in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters on Monday in New Delhi. “And these partnerships, they stand on their own. I would like to say that this is not a zero-sum game.”
Authorities around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy have said a meeting between the two leaders is important to discuss India’s role in restoring peace. But Kyiv’s overtures to Modi have fallen short. India was among nations at a June summit meeting in Switzerland not to sign a final statement, a blow to Ukraine’s bid to broaden global support.
Tusk backed Modi’s ambition to work for a peaceful solution during the press statement, which included an announcement of a strategic partnership between India and Poland.
“I’m convinced that your role in achieving peace will be crucial,” Tusk said. “We have a lot of joint possibilities, an authentic synergy,” he said, as the upgraded relationship opened the path cooperation on defense.
India’s military is heavily dependent on Russian-made weapon systems, giving a greater priority to nations from the former Soviet bloc that are able to cooperate on sourcing for equipment and spare parts.
At the same time, the country is seeking to diversify its arsenal. Cooperation with Poland’s defense industry would give India greater access to partners with a strong presence among NATO allies including the US and France.
No Indian prime minister has visited Poland and Ukraine since those countries became independent from the Soviet Union. Modi is trying to widen India’s reach to central Europe, which has been a low priority for New Delhi in the past few decades.
India recently posted a defense attache to Warsaw for the first time ever, indicating it wants to diversify its Europe policy beyond its traditional partners such as the UK and Germany. New Delhi views Poland, one of the largest economies in Europe, as possibly supplying India with spare parts for Russia-made weapon systems.
(Updates with India’s position on Ukraine in second, seventh paragraphs.)
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