Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 16 August that Moscow “respects the position of the United States and also wants to settle the Ukrainian conflict peacefully,” according to remarks reported by state news agency Tass. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking after a phone conversation with Putin on 18 August—their second this month—said the Russian leader shared details of his recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska. Modi reiterated that India has consistently supported a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and backs all initiatives aimed at achieving that goal.