U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska on 16 August for their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House in January. The two-hour-45-minute session focused on the war in Ukraine and broader U.S.–Russia relations, according to officials from both sides. The United Nations said it had “taken note” of the meeting and welcomed the continuation of constructive dialogue between two permanent Security Council members. Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric added that Secretary-General António Guterres renewed his call for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine and offered UN support for any credible peace effort. India also endorsed the talks. Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi “highly commends” the leaders’ pursuit of peace and reiterated that lasting solutions must be found through “dialogue and diplomacy,” a stance it has maintained since 2022.