Trump-Putin Alaska Summit: Key Takeaways for India and Russian Oil Buyers

A high-profile meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without any deal to stop or pause Russia’s war in Ukraine. Still, both leaders described the discussions as productive before returning home.

The meeting attracted attention worldwide from Washington and Moscow to Europe, Ukraine, and even New Delhi because its results could affect whether India faces higher US tariffs on key imports, including Russian oil. Recently, the US slapped a 50 per cent tariff on India, far higher than what other regional countries face. Analysts warn that these tariffs could hurt India’s exports and put nearly 1 per cent of the nation’s GDP at risk. India's imports of Russian crude oil are already subject to a 25% penalty imposed by the US.

No Deal Yet

"We haven't quite gotten there," Trump stated, adding that he would talk with NATO leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the next course of action. He mentioned that there had been some progress in bringing the dispute to a close, but he provided no specifics. "I think our meeting was really fruitful," Trump stated. "We've made some progress, but we still haven't reached our destination. Therefore, until there is a deal, there is no deal. He again withheld details of his conversations with Putin in a subsequent interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News.

Tariff Decisions Unclear

Following the summit, Trump told Fox News that because of his progress with Putin, he would delay imposing tariffs on China for purchasing Russian oil. He made no mention of India, which is subject to a 25% penalty on Russian crude and a 50% overall tariff on US imports. Regarding China, Trump remarked, "I don't need to think about that right now because of what happened today." "I might need to think about it in two or three weeks, but not at this time.

Mixed Messages from Leaders

Putin commended Trump for acknowledging Russia's national interests and for the "friendly" tone of the meeting. Trump, however, did not mention the killing of Ukrainian civilians in Russia’s attacks. Both leaders called the talks “productive”, but no clear results were announced. The news conference lasted under 15 minutes and mainly included standard diplomatic remarks with little new information.

Trump also mentioned in his Fox News interview that a three-way meeting could be set up between Putin and Zelensky, and he might take part in it. He gave no details on the timing or organiser. Putin did not talk about meeting Zelensky and said he expects Ukraine and its European allies to react positively to the US-Russia discussions. Kyiv has not responded to the summit, marking the first meeting between Putin and a US president since the war started.