Trump and Putin finally spoke face to face. Both of them, on the grounds of the military base in Anchorage, smiling faintly, walked together past the rows of fighter aircraft toward the cars. This scene was so symbolic that it immediately raised a series of questions, ABC News reported.
As is known, the leader of Russia, wherever he goes, usually travels in his own Aurus car. This time, however, an exception occurred — he got into Trump’s Cadillac together with Trump. Spectators and observers in the press interpreted this gesture as a “sign of easing relations.” At the same time, it was also covered as Trump creating conditions for the first “one-car conversation,” The Times wrote.
While Putin was walking between the fighter jets, a B-2 stealth bomber and four F-35 fighters flew overhead. This episode was officially presented as an “air demonstration,” but some commentators tried to seek a symbolic meaning in it. It should be emphasized separately: on some social channels there were claims of “five F-22,” but in the main sources F-35 are noted — on this point there is a discrepancy. Moreover, sensational remarks about the B-2’s operations in other regions have not been officially confirmed.
There was another attention-drawing detail in the footage: the moment of shaking hands and taking a photo in front of the “Alaska 2025” sign. At that very moment American journalists shouted a question: “President Putin, when will you stop killing civilians in Ukraine?” Putin said he did not hear those voices. Then similar difficult questions continued in the hall. Because of the loud volume and disorder, the organizers were forced to remove the journalists. The Kremlin published the first videos in a soundless version — according to the official explanation, the environment was very noisy.
The meeting began as planned in an open-to-the-media format, but keeping the journalists quiet proved quite difficult. In the open part there were three participants from each side: from the Russian side — Vladimir Putin, his adviser Yuri Ushakov, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who came in a sweater with the inscription “СССР”; from the American side — Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special representative Steven Witkoff. Then it was stated that the conversation would continue behind closed doors and that the talks would stretch for several hours, Politico reported.
In the open part, the way journalists, in a “poetic manner,” suddenly poured out questions in the spirit of “what kind of situation is this anyway?” was also reflected in shots where Putin shrugged and fell slightly into thought. This also became a separate subject of discussion. Thus the presidents moved to the closed stage of the meeting — precisely there an exchange of views on real blueprints of the main issues was envisaged.
After the meeting, the expected “big deal” was not announced. Trump reminded that “no deal has been reached yet,” emphasizing that the key role in reaching the next decision belongs to the leader of Ukraine. He said that the opportunities for a “temporary halt to the war” have not yet disappeared, but that this matter will not be easy. Putin, for his part, made a statement in the spirit of “there are signs of mutual understanding,” AP News reported.
Meanwhile, Lavrov’s short but irony-laden reply quickly became popular. When journalists asked, “After the meeting, could sanctions be lifted from Russia?”, he answered, “From someone, of course, they will be lifted — that is certain.” Although he did not give an explanation to these words, those familiar with his manner of speech understood the meaning well.
At the same time, the meeting showed several important contexts. First, at this meeting Trump preferred, instead of the previously criticized “one-on-one conversation,” to work with an officially expanded lineup — Rubio was given a leading role as Secretary of State, and Witkoff also participated as a special representative. Second, the “air demonstration” on the grounds of the military base in Alaska was interpreted as a separate emphasis on Washington’s show of strength, ABC News wrote.
In conclusion, the meeting between Trump and Putin in Anchorage literally turned into a “theater of symbols and hints” — a one-car conversation, stealth flights in the sky, a downpour of questions, soundless videos, and concise ironies. However, the main question still stands open: will this noise turn into a real result, or will it move to the shelf of history as yet another protocol page? The answer to this will become clear in the next stages, CBS News reported.
Reminder: certain details (for example, the number of fighter types and some interpretations) are covered differently in various sources; sensational claims have not been officially confirmed.
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