India Endorses US-Russia Summit, Cites PM Modi's Remark; Zelensky Not Impressed

New Delhi: Amid Donald Trump’s tariff war against India for importing Russian oil, the US President has announced that he will be meeting Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska mainly for talks on ending the war in Ukraine. On Saturday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that it welcomes the US-Russia meeting.

“India welcomes the understanding reached between the United States and the Russian Federation for a meeting in Alaska on 15th August 2025. This meeting holds the promise of bringing to an end 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’,” MEA stated. This will be Putin’s first trip to the US since 2015, when he met former President Barack Obama.

Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, “The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin of Russia will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

According to Kremlin, the two leaders would “focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis”, describing the process as “challenging” but one that Moscow would engage in “actively and energetically.”

However, Volodymyr Zelensky wasn’t impressed by the idea of a meeting without Ukraine. “Any solutions that are against us, any solutions that are without Ukraine, are simultaneously solutions against peace,” the Ukrainian President said.

“We are ready, together with President Trump, together with all partners, to work for a real, and most importantly, lasting peace — a peace that will not collapse because of Moscow’s wishes.”

Zelensky went on to address a possible suggestion of swapping territories.
“The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine. No one will and no one can deviate from it. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” the Ukrainian President said in a message on Telegram.