Moscow: National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday during the BRICS National Security Advisers’ meeting.

A photo shared by the Russian Embassy in India on X showed the two leaders exchanging a handshake.

Doval’s visit to Russia comes just over two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s significant trip to Ukraine.

During discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, PM Modi emphasized the need for Ukraine and Russia to engage in talks to end the conflict, offering India’s assistance in restoring peace in the region.

Sources indicated that Doval’s visit was focused on efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war, with reports suggesting that he carried a peace proposal from PM Modi for President Putin.

During their talks, President Putin expressed hope that PM Modi would attend the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan next month.

Putin also suggested a bilateral meeting with PM Modi on October 22 during the summit to review the progress on agreements from earlier discussions in Moscow and to outline future collaborations.

The Russian Embassy confirmed this through a statement on Telegram.

“We look forward to welcoming our good friend Modi,” Russian media quoted Putin as saying during the meeting.

Earlier, Doval held comprehensive discussions with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, in St. Petersburg.

These talks covered key issues of mutual concern, and it is believed that PM Modi’s conversation with President Zelenskyy was part of the discussions between the two NSAs.