Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski has attributed Prime Minister Narendra Modi with persuading Russian President Vladimir Putin not to use nuclear weapons in the current war in Ukraine.
In an interview with CNN-News18, Bartoszewski said that Poland is grateful for India's diplomatic efforts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
We were privileged to receive PM Modi in Warsaw. He was able to convince Putin not to use tactical nuclear weapons. Our preference is a durable, stable peace in Ukraine," Bartoszewski said.
This isn't the first time that officials from the West have credited Modi with the ability to stop the use of nuclear weapons.
In March 2024, US officials told CNN that the Biden administration had sought to enlist the help of India and China to discourage Putin from launching nuclear attacks. They added that Modi, together with Chinese President Xi Jinping, was key to defusing tensions.
We think showing global interest—particularly from major countries aligned with Russia and the Global South—was a powerful deterrent. It made Russia realize the dire consequences they could face," an official said at the time to CNN.
Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin and other top Russian leaders have constantly made nuclear threats. Russia has also updated its nuclear doctrine to include nuclear retaliation against a conventional attack.
In this updated approach, if a nuclear power country offers support for a conventional attack on Russia, Moscow can consider it a combined attack, calling for a nuclear response.
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