National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Thursday met Russian President Vladmir Putin amid efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

”Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St Petersburg.” the Russian Embassy in New Delhi wrote on ‘X’.

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The meeting took place on the margins of a conclave of the NSAs of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) nations.

During the talks, Mr Putin hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Russia next month to attend the annual BRICS summit at Kazan.

The Russian President also proposed a bilateral meeting with Modi on October 22 on the sidelines of the BRICS summit to analyse bilateral engagement and to discuss “future-oriented” actions.

“We are waiting for our good friend Modi and best regards to him,” the Russian media quoted Mr Putin as telling Mr Doval.

Earlier, Mr Doval met his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu. ”Mr Ajit Doval had a bilateral meeting with Mr. Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, on the sidelines of the BRICS NSAs meeting in Saint Petersburg. Both sides reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation and discussed important issues of mutual interest,” the Indian Embassy in Russia said on ‘X’.

Bilateral issues as well as global developments, including the Ukraine conflict, are understood to have figured in the talks.

Mr Doval’s visit to Russia comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Ukraine. The PM had in July visited Russia and called for an early resolution of the conflict through peaceful talks.

Several Western nations believe India could play a role in ending the conflict, given its friendship with both Russia and Ukraine.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, following her talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, said India and China can play a role in finding a solution to the conflict.