Alaska is set to witness a high-stakes summit as United States President Donald Trump is set to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin face-to-face.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump claimed that his decision to impose tariffs on India for purchasing oil from Russia have influenced Moscow's decision to seek a meeting with Washington. "I think everything has an impact," Trump said during an interview with Fox News. The US President claimed that when he told India that "we're going to charge you, because you're dealing with Russia and oil purchases", it "essentially took them out of buying oil from Russia". "And then they (Russia) called, and they wanted to meet. We're going to see what the meeting means. But certainly, when you lose your second largest customer, and you're probably going to lose your first-largest customer, I think that probably has a role. India was the second largest, and getting pretty close to China. China is the largest (purchaser of Russian oil)," the US president told the news channel.
The Trump administration has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods entering the US, raising the overall duty to 50 per cent. Trump called it a penalty for the country's continued imports of Russian oil. The tariffs will come into effect from August 27.
Read More: Why Trump–Putin Summit in Alaska Will Be Closely Watched in New Delhi
India on Thursday said it has not halted oil purchases from Russia in response to the US President's tariff threat and continues to buy based solely on economic considerations.
All Eyes on Putin-Trump Alaska Summit
After weeks of talks, Putin and Trump are finally going to meet face-to-face in Alaska on Friday evening. The meeting is not only expected to determine the trajectory of Russia-Ukraine conflict but also the fate of European security. However, the exclusion of Ukrainian Presidnet Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the Alaska summit has raised eyebrows.
Alaska, which the US purchased from Russia in 1867, is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles and the international date line.
