DIPLOMATIC SPAT

The sharp exchange of divergences between two Foreign Ministers of two democracies was a bit unusual for observers of international relations

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India and Poland relations seem to have taken a nosedive in the last few months, especially since October 2025 when the Polish Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, visited Pakistan.

This visit happening a few months after the India-Pakistan conflict (May 2025) had ruffled feathers in South Block, New Delhi. The unease and the strain between the EAM S. Jaishankar and Sikorski came out into the open in the joint press conference held on 19 January.

In the televised press conference, Jaishankar made a sharp remark on Sikorski’s observations on India’s transactions with Russia. Secondly, Jaishankar picked on the Foreign Minister for his initiatives in renewing ties with Pakistan. Jaishankar referred to India’s imports of Russian oil which Sikorski had been speaking about publicly during his visit. He quoted Polish Foreign Minister on latter's remarks in Jaipur that “he was pleased that India had cut its purchase of Russian oil...” Jaishankar said, “I have repeatedly underlined that selective targeting of India is both unfair and unjustified. I do so again today.”

Jaishankar in his opening remarks elaborated, “Poland should display zero tolerance for terrorism and not help fuel the terrorist infrastructure in our neighbourhood.” In his response, the Polish FM agreed that the two sides were on the same page on terrorism. He admitted that the conversation about India and Poland’s respective regions had been open and frank. But he pointed out, perhaps as a retort, “India’s participation in Zapad 2025 military exercises in Russia and Belarus was seen as ‘threatening’.”