The Summit will open with a one-on-one meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the issue of ending the Russia-Ukraine war: Reports
New Delhi: The stage is set for the Alaska Summit between the United States and Russia, which will begin shortly after midnight on Saturday (IST), with New Delhi watching closely as the outcome could influence the extent of American tariffs on India.
According to reports, the Summit will open with a one-on-one meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the issue of ending the Russia-Ukraine war. This will be followed by delegation-level talks and a press conference. The foreign ministers of both nations, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, are also part of the delegations accompanying their respective Presidents. The choice of venue is noteworthy, as Alaska once belonged to Russia before it was sold to the United States in 1867, more than 150 years ago. It is now the 49th US state.
Ukraine, along with major European powers, is concerned that any deal reached directly between the US and Russia to end the war may not be acceptable, particularly if it involves ceding eastern Ukrainian territory to Russia. President Trump has reportedly assured that the final decision on any such proposal will rest with Ukraine before an agreement is announced.
New Delhi is also monitoring developments closely, as the Summit comes just days after the United States unexpectedly announced 50 per cent tariffs on India, including a 25 per cent penalty for importing Russian oil. According to media reports, President Trump claimed that his tariffs on India “essentially took them out of buying oil from Russia” and “probably” played a role in bringing Moscow to the negotiating table. “Certainly, when you lose your second-largest customer and you’re probably going to lose your first-largest customer, I think that probably has a role,” he was quoted as saying. China is currently the largest buyer of Russian oil, followed by India.
Even as external affairs minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar prepares to visit Moscow next week for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday reiterated that India “endorses” the “upcoming Summit” in Alaska, which aims to end the Russia–Ukraine war that has been ongoing for three and a half years.
Last week, New Delhi stated: “India welcomes the understanding reached between the United States and the Russian Federation for a meeting in Alaska on August 15, 2025. This meeting holds the promise of bringing an end to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and opening up the prospects for peace. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said on several occasions, ‘This is not an era of war’. India, therefore, endorses the upcoming Summit meeting and stands ready to support these efforts.”
Modi also recently spoke separately by phone to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In his conversation with Zelenskyy, Modi reaffirmed “India’s steadfast and consistent position for the peaceful settlement of the [Russia–Ukraine] conflict.”
