India has voiced its support for the upcoming talks between the United States and Russia in Alaska, expressing hope that the meeting will contribute to ending the conflict in Ukraine. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released a statement on Saturday, August 9, 2025, welcoming the agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold a summit in Alaska on August 15, 2025.

The MEA's statement emphasized that the meeting "holds the promise of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and opening up the prospects for peace". India "endorses the upcoming Summit meeting and stands ready to support these efforts". The statement also referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's previous remarks that "this is not an era of war".

President Trump announced the meeting on social media, stating that discussions would focus on ending the war in Ukraine. This will be Putin's first visit to the United States in a decade.

The backdrop to India's statement includes increasing pressure from Washington regarding India's continued purchase of Russian oil. The U.S. had earlier announced an additional 25% duty on Indian imports, adding to the existing 25% tariff, bringing the total to 50%. The order specified that this additional duty would apply to articles from India imported into the U.S. due to India's direct or indirect import of oil from the Russian Federation. The base duty went into effect on August 7, with the additional charge beginning August 27.

Reports suggest that a potential peace deal might involve some exchange of land between Ukraine and Russia. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that any agreement reached without Ukraine's participation would not lead to genuine peace. He has also asserted that Ukraine's territorial integrity is non-negotiable and that no land would be ceded to Russia. Zelenskyy has criticized proposals involving territorial swaps.