National Security Adviser Ajit Doval may visit Moscow this week for discussions pertaining to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, according to sources.
This visit comes after back-to-back visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia and Ukraine, when he met Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky of the two countries respectively. Prime Minister Modi had called President Putin on August 27 after his visit to Ukraine. During the call, Modi apprised Putin of his meeting with Zelensky and reiterated India's commitment to the settlement of the conflict through political and diplomatic means.
It was during this phone call that the decision on the travel of NSA Doval to Moscow to hold the peace talks was taken. The Russian Embassy said President Putin informed him about his assessment of the policies of the destructive Kyiv authorities and their Western allies, discussed Russia's approaches to resolving the conflict.
The office of the Prime Minister said Modi and Putin exchanged views on the conflict that had been continuing, with Modi articulating the imperative need for dialogue, diplomacy, and practical engagement to attain a long-lasting and peaceful resolution.
Ajit Doval is visiting Kazan in the backdrop of the BRICS NSA meeting this week in the lead-up to the annual Summit. The meeting is supposed to be attended by the top security officials of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and new members like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Doval is likely to have bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
The visit to Moscow is seen as a move towards contributing toward a peaceful resolution between Russia and Ukraine. Such a role for India in the resolution of the Ukraine conflict has already been recognized by world leaders like the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni, speaking at the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy, said that countries like India and China could be significant in taking up the cause of the conflict. On the eve of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, President Putin drew attention to the leading role of India in finding a solution to the problem.
Putin expressed his confidence that China and Brazil, along with other countries, will be committed to active assistance in resolving the conflict.
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