- India has welcomed the meeting between US President Trump and Russian President Putin in Alaska
- India praised the leaders' role in pursuing peace amid global concerns over the Ukraine war
- The Indian government issued a statement commending the leadership for their peace efforts
India has welcomed the Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "commendable" step towards ending the Ukraine war. The way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy, the government has said in a statement, hours after the two leaders addressed a joint press conference, but stopped short of signing a deal to ensure peace.
"India welcomes the Summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Their leadership in the pursuit of peace is highly commendable. India appreciates the progress made in the Summit. The way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy. The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine," said a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Specifically for India, the summit assumed significance in the wake of hefty tariffs imposed by the US on Indian imports for buying Russian oil. Indian goods face over 50% tariff, including 25% secondary tariffs, in the US, with Trump accusing India of funding the Russian war machine.
The President, however, had indicated just before meeting Putin that he may not impose any secondary tariff on countries that continue to buy Russian crude oil.
Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska early this morning amid much fanfare for a summit that was billed as historic. The meeting was held at a US airbase in Anchorage. Screaming jets welcomed the two leaders for what was seen as a step towards ending the three-year-long conflict in Ukraine. They spoke for over two hours, but failed to reach any agreement on ending the war.
They later addressed a joint news conference but did not take any questions. During the conference, Trump said he had an "extremely productive meeting" with his Russian counterpart and they agreed on many points. Some issues are still left to be addressed, he said, adding, "We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there."
Trump also clarified "there is no deal until there is a deal," indicating that they have not yet come up with any resolution, but Putin said Russia was "sincerely interested" in ending the war in Ukraine.
Putin, shunned by his Western allies since the 2022 invasion, also thanked Trump for hosting the summit and said the war would not have started if he were the President of the United States in 2022. He also suggested that the two leaders meet again, with Moscow being the venue next time.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said Trump has informed him about the "main points" of his talks with Putin, and that he will visit Washington on Monday for further discussions with the US President.
European leaders, including those from France, Germany, UK, and European Commission, expressed support for a three-way summit between Trump, Putin, and Zelensky, and insisted sanctions pressure be maintained on Russia until peace was achieved.
