Washington: US Senator Lindsey Graham has urged India to leverage its influence with Russia to help Donald Trump broker an end to the Ukraine conflict.
In a post on X, Graham said one of the “most consequential” steps India could take to boost ties with the US would be to assist Trump in halting the “bloodbath” in Ukraine. He noted India is the second-largest buyer of Russian oil, which “fuels Putin’s war machine,” and expressed hope Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed President Vladimir Putin during their recent call to end the war “justly, honorably, and forever.”
As I have been telling my friends in India, one of the most consequential things they could do to improve India-U.S. relations is to help President Trump end this bloodbath in Ukraine.
India is the second largest purchaser of Putin’s cheap oil — the proceeds of which fuel his… https://t.co/376LkTwXtd
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 8, 2025
The remarks came as Modi revealed he had a “very good and detailed conversation” with Putin, thanking him for updates on Ukraine and reaffirming the India–Russia strategic partnership. Modi also confirmed he looks forward to hosting Putin in India later this year.
Meanwhile, India welcomed the announcement of a Trump–Putin summit set for August 15 in Alaska, calling it a potential turning point for peace. “This meeting holds the promise of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” the Ministry of External Affairs said, echoing Modi’s stance that “this is not an era of war.”
Trump, writing on Truth Social, described the Alaska meeting as “highly anticipated” and promised more details soon. It will mark Putin’s first US visit since 2015 and the first US–Russia summit since 2021.
