Peace effort: PM Modi begins visit to Poland, Ukraine

Modi, who landed in the Polish capital Warsaw on Wednesday afternoon, is the first Indian premier to travel to the country in nearly half a century, since Morarji Desai in 1979. On August 23, Modi will become the only Indian head of government to visit Ukraine since its emergence as an independent nation in 1991.

Modi’s stop in Ukraine is expected to last about seven hours and will involve a 10-hour train journey to be carried out in tight security conditions. The visit comes a little more than a month after the Prime Minister made a trip to Russia during July 8-9 for the annual summit with President Vladimir Putin.

As he embarked on the visit, Modi said that India desires the early return of peace and stability in the region.

The Indian side gave virtually no details of Modi’s programme in Ukraine, citing security protocols associated with travelling to an active war zone, though there was speculation that he could be carrying a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Read more: Ahead of Ukraine visit, PM Modi says India supports peace in this region

“I look forward to the opportunity to build upon earlier conversations with President Zelenskyy on strengthening bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict. As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister noted in his departure statement he was visiting Poland at a time when the two countries are marking 70 years of diplomatic relations. “Poland is a key economic partner in Central Europe. Our mutual commitment to democracy and pluralism further reinforces our relationship,” he said.

Besides meeting Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda to take forward the bilateral partnership, Modi will interact with the Indian community in Poland.

People familiar with planning for the visit said on condition of anonymity that India and Poland were exploring ways to enhance cooperation in defence and security and to impart more heft to relations that had been in limbo for decades. Poland is now the sixth largest economy within the European Union (EU) and will hold the presidency of the 27-nation bloc in 2025.

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland’s defence budget grew in real terms by 46%, and the country plans a further 10% hike in its defence budget in 2025. The people cited above pointed to this as a factor for increased interest in bolstering India-Poland defence cooperation. India recently posted a military attache at its embassy in Warsaw for the first time in decades.

Read more: PM Narendra Modi arrives in Poland for first visit by Indian Prime Minister in 45 years

Two-way trade is worth $6 billion, making Poland India’s largest trade partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Indian investments in Poland are worth $3 billion, while Polish investments into India are worth $1 billion. Poland is home to around 25,000 Indians, including 5,000 students.

Modi began his visit on Wednesday by laying wreaths at memorials to the rulers of Nawanagar and Kolhapur, two erstwhile princely states that sheltered more than 6,000 Polish women and children during World War 2. He also paid tribute at the Monument to the Battle of Monte Cassino, which commemorates the campaign to capture a hilltop abbey near Rome in 1944. Hundreds of Indian soldiers serving in the British Army died in this battle.

After completing his engagements in Poland on Thursday, Modi will travel by road and rail to reach Ukraine the following day.

Modi said his trip to Kyiv will be a “natural continuation of extensive contacts” between the two sides and lay the foundation for “stronger and more vibrant relations”.

Modi and Zelenskyy met on the margins of the last two G7 Summits in Japan and Italy, and have spoken several times on phone since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

India hasn’t publicly criticised Russia’s actions and has abstained or voted against most Ukraine-related resolutions at the UN. At the same time, it has called for the ending of hostilities and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy to find a lasting solution. During his visit to Russia last month, Modi told Putin a solution can’t be found on the battlefield, and his visit to Ukraine is being closely watched to see what steps India might take to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

On the other hand, Ukraine has pushed India to take on a larger role in ongoing peace efforts because of the country’s proximity to Russia. Ukrainian ambassador Oleksandr Polishchuk told HT in an interview that implementing Zelenskyy’s peace formula will be one of the most important topics of negotiations, and India has the “necessary authority and influence to persuade Russia to consider fair negotiations and a peaceful resolution”.