Why did India warn Poland against Pakistan? Seeks stronger ties amid raging Russia-Ukraine war

After reiterating its stand on the Russia-Ukraine war many times, India has reached out to Poland and warned it against Pakistan. Poland has been a good friend since the Soviet Union days; however, the ties got strained after the ongoing war in Europe had begun. Poland, once the fulcrum of the pro-Soviet Warsaw Pact block, later joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 1999 after the collapse of the socialist system. As India continued to buy crude oil from Russia, Poland distanced itself. However, the relations between the two old friendly countries improved and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski arrived in Delhi Monday. 

Emphasising the need to expand India-Poland Strategic Partnership, Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar exchanged views on key regional and global developments. He also reminded the Polish minister that the bilateral ties improved significantly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Warsaw in August 2024. He said the Action Plan 2024-28 was reviewed and possibilities for deeper cooperation in trade, investment, defence, security, and clean technologies were explored. 

In a significant development, Jaishankar warned Sikorski against Pakistan and its nefarious designs to abet terrorism. Raising the issue of terrorism, he told Sikorski that he was not a stranger to the region and was well aware of the challenges posed by terrorism emanating from across India's borders. Expressing his view that Warsaw would display "zero-tolerance for terrorism", he stressed that it should not "help fuel the terrorist infrastructure in our neighbourhood." 

In what may be called India's response to Poland's statement on Kashmir in October 2025 during a bilateral visit to Islamabad, Jaishankar said, "Poland should display zero tolerance for terrorists and not help fuel terrorist infrastructure in our neighbourhood." Echoing the sentiments of Jaishankar, Sikorsky referred to recent incidents in his own country. He said Poland had been a victim of arson and attempted state terrorism, including an attack on a railway line. He agreed on the need to counter trans-border terrorism. 

Sikorsky supported India on the issue of unfair tariffs being imposed on it. He said that Poland agreed on the "unfairness of selective targeting by tariffs" and warned that such practices could lead to wider global trade turbulence. Poland is one of the largest trading partners in Central Europe. The bilateral trade touched $7 billion and Indian companies invested more than $3 billion. 

The meeting is significant as India has not only maintained a neutral stand on the Ukraine war, but it has kept its channel open with all countries. New Delhi has considerably reduced its purchase of Russian oil and suggested to the warring sides that talks and diplomacy are the only options for a peaceful and amicable resolution of the dispute. Poland's coming to India will make things easier for it as it may act as a gateway to Central Europe.