Poland seeks to expand defense ties with India, aiming to push out Moscow

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Warsaw en route to Kyiv, where he says he will “share perspectives” on a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Warsaw aims to benefit from New Delhi's desire to modernize its armed forces and diversify its supplies by moving away from Russian suppliers.

"It is no coincidence that we talked about intensification in terms of the defense industry. We are ready as Poland to take part in the modernization of military equipment," Tusk said at a press conference with Modi in Warsaw.

Poland has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters since Russia's invasion in 2022, while India has maintained neutrality.

However, according to officials, cooperation in the defense industry was a key item on the agenda of the Indian Prime Minister's first visit to Warsaw in 45 years.

New Delhi has historically been heavily reliant on Moscow for defense supplies but has sought diversification in recent years, a process that intensified following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

A Polish official, who declined to be named, told Reuters that India has a lot of Soviet equipment, such as T-72 tanks, which Poland was able to repair or upgrade, creating an opportunity for cooperation. India recently reopened its defense wing at its embassy in Warsaw.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India has significantly increased trade with Russia, including purchasing Russian oil, which is a major source of revenue for the Kremlin's war machine.

Modi visited Moscow to meet Putin on July 8-9. This visit was criticized by the US and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as it coincided with a Russian strike on the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv.

At the beginning of 2024, India was classified as an unfriendly country for Ukrainians, joining nations such as North Korea, China, and Iran.