India’s Modi urges efforts to end Ukraine war after talks in Poland

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine during a visit to neighboring Poland on Thursday, pledging India’s support and saying that no conflict can be solved on a battlefield.

“We support dialogue and diplomatic effort” for the restoration of peace and stability “as soon as possible,” Modi said following talks with Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Tusk stressed that India can play a very important role in bringing an end to the war that is raging on other side of Poland’s eastern border.

Sitting on the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union, Poland is concerned about the two-year-old war across its eastern border. It’s offered political, humanitarian and defense support to Ukraine.

Modi and Tusk met for talks on security, the war on Ukraine by India’s strategic partner Russia, and invigorating bilateral ties. Later, the Indian leader was to meet with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda.

The two leaders said that the visit, which marks 70 years of official bilateral relations, raised the ties to a strategic level, covering a wide range of cooperation, including in the IT, security and defense industries.

Ahead of his visit, Modi said Poland was India’s key economy partner in Central Europe.

An agreement was signed to facilitate the mobility of specialized workers between the two countries.

According to figures cited by the Embassy of India, the total value of bilateral trade increased from $1.95 billion to $5.72 billion from 2013-2023, with India’s exports accounting for a majority.

Then-Indian President Pratibha Patil visited Poland in 2009, and Tusk, during his first term as prime minister, paid a visit to India in 2010.

On Friday, Modi travels to Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy.

Kyiv chastised Modi for a visit to Moscow last month, during which he met and hugged President Vladimir Putin. Modi has avoided condemning Russia while emphasizing a peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the meeting as a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.” He also chided Modi for hugging Putin during their meeting.