Ajit Doval Briefs Putin on Modi’s Ukraine Visit: Can India Broker Peace?

India's national security adviser Ajit doel today met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on the sidelines of the bricks nsa's meeting doel told Putin Prime Minister Modi wanted me to come to Russia and brief you about his visit to Ukraine during the meeting President Putin proposed a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the bricks Summit which will be held in Kazan in Russia from the 22nd to the 24th of October Prime Minister Modi and President Putin last met in Moscow in July during a closely watched visit that made Global headlines and invited great scrutiny and even Trent criticism from the Western media as India attempts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine could another one-on-one meeting between the two leaders take the peace process to the next level only recently the Russian president had said that India along with Brazil and China can mediate in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine prime minister Narendra Modi has visited both Russia and Ukraine in the past two months and met its leaders Vladimir Putin and vadir zilinski shortly after his trip to Ukraine and meeting with President zinsky primee Minister Modi spoke to President Putin over the phone he discussed with Putin his visit to Kiev and also stressed India's commitment to bring about a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict by political and diplomatic means the prime minister 's office said the Prime Minister shared insights from his recent visit to Ukraine he underlined the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as well as sincere and practical engagement between all stakeholders to achieve an early Abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict Reports say it was during this phone call that the two leaders decided that National Security adviser Ajit Dil would travel to Russia for peace talks while there is no official word on this reports also suggest that those may have delivered prime minister modi's peace plan to President Putin in August Prime Minister Modi met president zilinsky in KF where the two leaders discussed the Russia Ukraine conflict Prime Minister Modi told zilinski India was never neutral in this conflict we have always been on the side of Peace recently President Putin named India among the three countries that Russia was in touch with over the Ukraine conflict he said we respect our friends and partners who I believe sincerely seek to resolve all issues surrounding this conflict primarily China Brazil and India I constantly keep in touch with our colleagues on this issue other world leaders also seem to be of the view that India can play a key role in finding a resolution to the Ukraine conflict Italian Prime Minister georia Mone who recently met the Ukrainian president has said China and India have a role to play in resolving the conflict what must not happen is to think that the conflict can be resolved by abandoning Ukraine to its fate the Russia Ukraine war has emerged as the most polarizing Global issue in recent times and major Powers have taken sides India has consistently called for peace with prime minister Narendra Modi stressing that this is not an era of war and no solution can be found on the battlefield when Prime Minister Modi traveled to Russia in July and hugged President Putin president zilinski lashed out while referring to a Russian missile strike on Ukraine's largest Children's Hospital that killed 37 people including three children the Ukrainian president said it was a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day subsequently on his visit to Ukraine 6 weeks later Prime Minister Modi embraced president zilinski and the Ukrainian leader said he and Prime Minister Modi had honored the memory of children whose lives were taken by Russian aggression on his return to India from Kev Prime Minister Modi not only spoke to president President Putin but also briefed US President Joe Biden on his talks with both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents given the flurry of high-profile meetings and phone calls in recent weeks is India clearly positioning itself to play Peacemaker in the Russia Ukraine war that has gone on for over two and a half years now on account of its independent foreign policy and the friendly ties it has with both sides India finds itself in a unique position to be able to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine with Europe Europe and its Western allies finding themselves in a stalemate with Russia backed by China India which has maintained friendly ties with most Nations is in a position to act as an honest peace broker without bias as we mentioned Prime Minister Modi told zilinski in KF we are not neutral from the very beginning we have chosen the side of Peace we have come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war he added that India was ready to play an active role in every effort to restore peace in Ukraine and that he would like to contribute personally towards bringing the conflict to an end Russia had described prime minister modi's visit to Moscow as historic and game-changing Ukraine too termed the prime minister's visit to KF historic saying India is key in the global diplomatic efforts to end the war the United States too has praised India's efforts with President Biden saying I spoke with Prime Minister Modi to discuss his recent trip to Poland and Ukraine and commended him for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine given its Rising Global stature and trendly ties with both Russia and Ukraine has India earned enough International Goodwill to be seen as a major geopolitical actor and a potential peacemaker can India end the war in Ukraine can the two Waring sides Be convinced to back down from their deeply entrenched and maximalist positions and sit down with each other across the negotiating table can a middle path be found are Russia Ukraine and the United States serious about the peace efforts and about ending the 2 and a half yearold conflict that has taken a heavy toll on the entire world