India welcomes Trump-Putin Alaska meet, calls leadership ‘commendable’

India on Saturday expressed its appreciation for the recent summit in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, acknowledging their commitment to “dialogue and diplomacy” in seeking an end to the conflict in Ukraine. In a statement released on Saturday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) welcomed the high-stakes summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The MEA expressed appreciation for the two leaders’ ongoing efforts toward peace, describing their leadership as “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,” the statement added. 

Key takeaways from the Trump-Putin summit 

The summit, although it did not result in a formal agreement to end or pause Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. However, both leaders characterised the talks as productive.

Trump said that while there had been significant progress, there was still much work to be done. “We haven’t quite got there,” he said, confirming that no final deal had been reached. He added that he would consult with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO leaders before determining the next steps. 

“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump noted. 

Hold on tariffs for now? 

Following the summit, Trump indicated that he would hold off on imposing new tariffs on oil purchases from Russia.

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, President Trump suggested that his stance on trade measures could change, saying, “Well, because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that (tariffs).” Trump also rated his meeting with Putin as a “10/10,” signaling a positive outcome, even though, just weeks earlier, the US president had taken a much more aggressive approach toward Russia. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Trump’s “friendly” tone during the discussions. While both leaders referred to the talks as “productive,” there were no tangible outcomes or new developments to report. The meeting concluded with a brief news conference, lasting under 15 minutes, which contained little more than diplomatic pleasantries. 

Trump in the interview also suggested the possibility of a trilateral meeting involving Putin, Ukrainian President Zelensky, and himself. The outcome of this summit will be crucial in shaping India’s foreign relations moving forward.