Overview

• On August 15, President Trump pressed President Putin for an immediate ceasefire in the Russia–Ukraine war and warned he would walk out if no agreement is reached
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin will lay flowers at a Soviet pilots’ memorial in Alaska as part of the summit’s ceremonial elements
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks offer a chance to open a path to a just peace after more than three years of conflict
• Trump has already imposed a 25% base tariff on Indian imports plus an additional 25% on August 7 and signaled a further 50% duty set to take effect on August 27 if negotiations collapse
• Analysts caution that failure to secure a ceasefire could trigger higher U.S. duties on India’s textiles, leather, footwear and gems exports, risking widespread job losses and cooling GDP growth below 6%