India welcomes August 15 Trump-Putin Summit in Alaska, backs peace efforts

India on Saturday welcomed an understanding reached between the US and Russia for a meeting of leaders of the two countries in Alaska on August 15 and endorsed the Summit by suggesting that it is ready to support these efforts. "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"," a spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The latest development tracks US President Donald Trump harshly criticising New Delhi of supporting Moscow's war efforts through continued purchases of Russian crude oil and doubling American tariffs on Indian goods to 50%. It also follows a phone conversation on Friday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both leaders discussed the latest developments concerning Ukraine, among other issues during the call.

On Friday, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met Russia's first deputy prime minister Denis Manturov, who is the point person for economic-industrial partnership with India, and explored a slew of industrial projects, including in the aviation industry.