Putin's Message To "Good Friend Mr. Modi" Following Important Meeting With NSA Doval

 On Thursday, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the grand setting of Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg to deliver a personal message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The topic? Modi’s recent, historic visit to Ukraine. Doval conveyed the Prime Minister's intent to keep Putin closely informed about his discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “PM Modi was keen to personally brief you on his talks with President Zelenskyy, and he asked me to come directly to you with the details,” Doval stated.

Putin's Message To "Good Friend Mr. Modi" Following Important Meeting With NSA Doval

President Putin, in response, extended an invitation for a bilateral meeting with PM Modi on October 22, during the upcoming BRICS Summit in Kazan. Putin proposed this meeting to reflect on their collaborative efforts, review the outcomes from Modi’s last visit to Moscow, and set the stage for future action. “We eagerly await the arrival of our close friend, Mr. Modi, and I send my best regards to him,” Putin added, underlining the warmth of their partnership.

Doval’s trip to Russia comes just weeks after PM Modi’s groundbreaking visit to Kyiv. During that visit, President Zelenskyy emphasized the influential role India could play in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. Zelenskyy told Times Now, "If India and its people alter their stance towards Russia, this war will stop. Putin will have no choice but to end it."

Expanding on his vision, Zelenskyy urged India to take a definitive stand in helping to end the war, moving beyond a balancing act between the two warring nations. He highlighted India’s powerful role in the global energy sector, explaining, "If India halts its purchase of Russian oil, it will create serious challenges for Russia to sustain the war."

Prime Minister Modi made history as the first Indian leader to visit Ukraine, where he was greeted with a heartfelt embrace by Zelenskyy in Kyiv. The two leaders convened at the Martyrologist Exposition, engaging in deep discussions both privately and at a broader delegation level. Their talks centered around how to diplomatically resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, underscoring Modi’s ongoing efforts to broker peace.

Modi’s journey to Kyiv was nothing short of significant, arriving after a ten-hour trip aboard the 'Rail Force One' train from Poland, marking the final leg of his two-nation tour. His stop in Ukraine followed closely on the heels of his high-profile visit to Russia just six weeks earlier. During that visit, Modi held extensive talks with President Putin, prioritizing diplomatic avenues to end the conflict.

At their prior meeting during the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, PM Modi had assured President Zelenskyy that India remains committed to supporting a peaceful resolution to the war. He reiterated that "dialogue and diplomacy" are the only pathways to peace and emphasized India's "human-centric" approach to conflict resolution. Zelenskyy, in turn, extended a personal invitation for Modi to visit Kyiv—a gesture that Modi has now honored, continuing his mission to navigate a path toward peace in a war-torn region.