ALASKA: Vladimir Putin made his first appearance on Western soil since ordering the invasion of Ukraine, greeted by a carefully staged reception from Donald Trump.
The Russian leader arrived at Elmendorf Air Base, a key US military installation historically used to monitor Soviet activities.
Trump waited aboard Air Force One until Putin’s plane landed, then descended to the tarmac under a cold, overcast sky.
The two leaders walked toward each other, exchanged smiles, and shook hands before posing on a stage marked “Alaska 2025.”
In an unusual gesture, Putin boarded the US presidential limousine, “The Beast,“ alongside Trump before heading into closed-door talks.
The meeting room featured the phrase “Pursuing Peace” in English, where Putin joked with reporters and praised Trump’s leadership.
Putin claimed he would not have invaded Ukraine had Trump, not Biden, been president in 2022, playing to Trump’s political narrative.
When Trump hinted at future meetings, Putin responded in rare English: “Next time in Moscow.”
The event starkly contrasted Trump’s tense February meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he and Vice President JD Vance had criticised.
While Zelensky remains a Western ally, Putin has faced travel restrictions and an ICC arrest warrant over the Ukraine war.
A reporter disrupted the summit by shouting, “When will you stop killing civilians?” but Putin ignored the question.
Symbolism dominated the event, including a B-2 stealth bomber flyover as Putin arrived, showcasing US military might.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov appeared in a USSR-branded sweatshirt, nodding to Putin’s ambitions of restoring Russia’s superpower status.
US sanctions on senior Russian officials were briefly lifted, enabling their travel and financial transactions during the visit.
Activists displayed Ukrainian flags on nearby rooftops, hoping to catch the leaders’ attention from their planes.
Anchorage struggled with last-minute summit preparations, its hotels packed with tourists unaware of the diplomatic storm.
Russian journalists, denied proper lodging, shared images of makeshift sleeping arrangements in a sports arena.
The US catered to Russian media with familiar dishes, including shashlik and chicken Kiev—a meal now loaded with geopolitical irony. - AFP
