New Delhi: On Monday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the Alaska summit, discussing ways to bring a permanent end to the war in Ukraine. PM Modi underlined India’s consistent position since the conflict began in February 2022—calling for a peaceful resolution—and reiterated India’s full support for dialogue.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, both leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation and agreed to remain in close touch. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi posted: “Thanks to my friend President Putin for his phone call and for sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska. India has constantly called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and supports all efforts in this regard. I look forward to our continued exchange in the days to come.”
On Saturday, former US President Donald Trump met Vladimir Putin in Alaska. After the meeting, Trump said they discussed possible ways of ending the war with Ukraine, calling the talks “timely and very useful.” He added, “We have not had direct negotiations of this kind at this level for a long time. The conversation was frank and substantive.” Trump hailed the talks as “very productive,” but refused to give any specific declaration, noting: “There is no deal until there is a deal.”
Reports suggest Trump pressured Ukraine to agree to Russia’s ceasefire conditions. Putin’s call to PM Modi came just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—who was not invited to the Alaska peace summit—is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House. Zelenskyy will reportedly have stronger European backing this time, with Germany’s Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron set to stand with him.
Notably, Modi and Putin had also spoken just 10 days prior to the Alaska summit, discussing global trade uncertainty triggered by new US tariffs. The United States recently imposed a 25% penalty duty on imported Indian goods, citing India’s continued purchase of discounted crude oil from Moscow. Trump argued that such purchases were “funding the war against Ukraine”—a conflict he had earlier vowed to end with “a single phone call,” a promise yet to materialize.
India strongly hit back, calling the tariffs “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.” Officials argued that while wealthier Western countries with lower energy needs could afford to diversify away from Russian oil and gas, developing nations like India must prioritize the energy requirements of 1.4 billion people.