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

S. Jaishankar is in New Delhi with Polish FM Radoslaw Sikorski.

After repeatedly reiterating its stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, India reached out to Poland and warned it against Pakistan. Poland had been a good friend since the days of the Soviet Union; however, with the start of the ongoing war in Europe, relations became tense. Once a mainstay of the pro-Soviet Warsaw Pact bloc, Poland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1999 following the collapse of the socialist system. While India continued to buy crude oil from Russia, Poland remained distant. But relations between the two old friendly countries have improved and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski arrived in Delhi on Monday.

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

In a significant development, Jaishankar warned Sikorski against Pakistan and its nefarious plans to promote 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. He expressed his view that Warsaw would have “zero tolerance for terrorism”, emphasizing that this should not “help fuel the terrorist infrastructure in our neighbourhood”.

In what could be termed India’s response to Poland’s statement on Kashmir during his bilateral visit to Islamabad in October 2025, Jaishankar said, “Poland should have zero tolerance for terrorists and not help fuel the terrorist infrastructure in our neighbourhood.” Echoing Jaishankar’s sentiments, Sikorsky touched on the recent events in his country. He said Poland had been the victim of arson and attempted state terrorism, including an attack on a railway line. They agreed on the need to fight cross-border terrorism.

Sikorsky supported India regarding unfair tariffs. He said Poland agreed with the “injustice of selective targeting by tariffs” and warned that such practices could lead to wider global trade turbulence. Poland is one of Central Europe’s largest trading partners. Bilateral trade reached $7 billion and Indian companies invested more than $3 billion.

The meeting is important for India to maintain a neutral stance in the Ukraine war, as well as to keep its channels open with all countries. New Delhi has significantly reduced its purchases of Russian oil and suggested to the warring parties that negotiations and diplomacy are the only options for a peaceful and amicable resolution of the dispute. Poland’s arrival in India will make their job easier as it can serve as a gateway to Central Europe.