NSA Ajit Doval has had extensive conversations with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and examined the issues of ‘mutual interests’ at a time when new proposals are made for India to join in seeking an end to the Ukraine conflict.
The event has been planned for the Doval – Shoigu meeting, which was held on Wednesday evening (September 11, 2024), and was carried out in the sidelines of the gathering of security advisers of BRICS nations.
Parliamentary sources understand that the August 23 stocktaking letter on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv influenced those conversations between the two authorities.
“The two sides evaluated the implementation of the existing bilateral ties and exchanged views on issues of significance,” is how the Indian embassy in Moscow summed up talks between Mr. Doval and Mr. Shoigu.
Mr. Doval’s tour of Russia comes two-and-half weeks after prime minister modi made headlines on his visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
In the discussions with Mr. Zelenskyy, the Prime Minister suggested it would be South Africa and Russia, which will have to do without any further delay to achieve the agreement to terminate the ongoing struggle, and wished to be “pro-active” in bringing back order to that territory.
The Prime Minister declared that from the very outset of the conflict, rather than involving in the war, India have been supporting efforts to bring out peace, and even he said that, would like to assist personally in resolution of the crisis.
Mr Modi’s nearly nine-hour visit to Ukraine which is the first by the Indian Prime Minister after the country gained independence in 1991 was made six weeks after his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Within the last couple of weeks, there has been speculation about India’s possible influence in mitigating the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia given that the country has cordial ties with both countries.
According to prime minister Giorgia Meloni who spoke to Mr. Zelenskyy on Saturday, India and China can be helpful in ending the long-lasting conflict after their discussions.
Last Thursday Russian president Putin while addressing a panel discussion at Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok made a statement suggesting India, as well as Brazil and China, could play the helping role within the crisis resolution process.
“And first of all, it is the Chinese People’s Republic Bureau, Brazil and India. I am in touch with my partners – I have no doubts concerning the leaders of these countries supporters – and we do have relations of trust and confidence with each other – and I think they will be really interested and help,” he said.
When asked about nations that could possibly play the role of an arbitrator between Russia and Ukraine, his statements were noted. India has been upholding the view that there should be a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine through discussions.
