Ajit Doval is expected to visit Russia primarily for a meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) National Security Advisors, with the Ukraine-Russia conflict likely to be a topic of discussion during the visit.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is expected to visit Russia from September 10-12 to attend the BRICS National Security Advisors’ meeting, according to sources on Sunday. The meeting will take place at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library in St. Petersburg.
While Doval’s visit will primarily focus on the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) grouping, discussions on the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict are also anticipated. In addition to the original BRICS members, National Security Advisors from newly-joined countries—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—are also expected to participate. These nations became members on January 1, 2024, following the expansion announced at last year’s BRICS summit in South Africa.
The BRICS NSAs’ meeting comes at a time when there is a renewed global push for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv to resolve the conflict. On September 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that China, India, and Brazil could potentially serve as mediators in peace negotiations.
Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency quoted Putin, who stated, “We respect our friends and partners, who I believe sincerely seek to resolve all issues surrounding this conflict, primarily China, Brazil, and India. I am in regular contact with our colleagues on this matter.”
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Putin noted that a preliminary agreement reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul during the early stages of the war could serve as a basis for future peace talks, as reported by Reuters.
Putin’s comments regarding the role of BRICS leaders in mediation come just a month ahead of Russia hosting the BRICS leaders’ summit in Kazan from October 22-24. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are expected to attend the summit.