New Delhi, Aug. 9 -- India on Saturday welcomed the forthcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for August 15 in Alaska, expressing optimism that it could pave the way to ending the conflict in Ukraine.

Trump announced on Truth Social that the "highly anticipated meeting" with Putin will take place next Friday in the "Great State of Alaska", with more details to follow.

This will be Putin's first trip to the United States since 2015, when he met then-President Barack Obama.

It will also be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva.

At the White House, during the signing of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace accord, Trump hinted that an...