India calls out ‘selective targeting’ over Russia trade, warns Poland against backing Pakistan

The issue was raised during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in New Delhi.

Jaishankar cautioned Warsaw against using tariffs or pressure tactics to influence India’s independent foreign policy choices.

He reiterated that New Delhi has consistently pursued dialogue and diplomacy to end the Ukraine conflict and has resisted being drawn into bloc politics.

“I have repeatedly underlined that the selective targeting of India is both unfair and unjustified,” Jaishankar said, adding that he had conveyed these views earlier in New York and Paris as well.

Strategic partnership under review

The meeting came as both sides reviewed the expanding India-Poland Strategic Partnership, which was elevated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Warsaw in August 2024.

Jaishankar noted the global situation was undergoing “considerable churn,” making such engagements vital.

Both leaders discussed the Action Plan 2024-28 and explored deeper cooperation in trade, investment, defence, security, clean energy and digital innovation.

India and Poland also assessed key regional and global developments impacting their partnership.

India’s strong message on Pakistan

The second major concern raised by Jaishankar was cross-border terrorism.

Addressing Sikorski, he pointed out that the Polish leader was well aware of security challenges in South Asia.

He urged Poland to adopt a “zero-tolerance” approach towards terrorism and warned against any support, direct or indirect, to Pakistan.

The remarks were widely interpreted as a reference to Pakistan’s record of harbouring terror networks.

“Poland should display zero tolerance for terrorists and not help fuel terrorist infrastructure in our neighbourhood,” Jaishankar said.

His statement follows Poland’s earlier comments on Kashmir during a bilateral visit to Islamabad in October 2025, which had drawn New Delhi’s attention.

India has intensified diplomatic outreach in Europe to highlight Pakistan’s role in terror financing and providing safe havens to extremist groups, seeking consistent international positions on the issue.

Poland echoes concerns on tariffs, terrorism

Responding to India’s concerns, Sikorski broadly agreed with Jaishankar’s position.

He acknowledged the “unfairness of selective targeting by tariffs” and warned that such practices could destabilise global trade.

Drawing from Poland’s own experiences, Sikorski said his country had faced incidents of arson and attempted state-sponsored terrorism, including attacks on railway infrastructure.

He underscored the need for collective efforts to counter cross-border terrorism.

Growing India-Poland ties

The meeting took place against the backdrop of strengthening bilateral relations.

Poland is among India’s key trading partners in Central Europe, with bilateral trade reaching nearly USD 7 billion.

Indian investments in Poland have crossed USD 3 billion.

Both sides expressed confidence that the strategic partnership would continue to deepen, even as New Delhi firmly articulated its red lines on geopolitical pressure and terrorism.