Context:

The Prime Minister of India recently traveled by “Rail Force One” train from Poland to Kyiv (Ukraine). 

About the Train:

• The President of the United States arrived in Kyiv by train last year rather than flying in on Air Force One, the train was nicknamed "Rail Force One.
• The train was built before the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and was previously used to ferry wealthy tourists to the peninsula on the Black Sea.
• The train’s 10-hour, 700 km journey begins at Przemyśl Główny station in Poland, located around 400 km southeast of Warsaw, close to the country’s border with Ukraine, and ends at Kyiv.
• This train in the Ukrainian railway network, has played an important role in the war effort, including helping transport aid across the country.
• This train, along with others in the Ukrainian railway network, has been crucial during the war, including facilitating the transport of aid and people throughout the country.

Iron Diplomacy:

• Ukraine’s Strategic Industries Minister Alexander Kamyshin, who is in charge of Ukrzaliznytsia (state-owned Ukrainian Railways), has coined the term Iron Diplomacy to refer to the world leaders’ train trips.
• Iron diplomacy refers to the practice of transporting world leaders from Poland through Ukraine via rail since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• The concept of Iron Diplomacy extends beyond logistics to encompass the role of the railway in international relations. As air travel became impossible due to the war.