Trump and Putin meet on red carpet and shake hands; talks begin – photos, video

US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have met at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska.
Source: a live broadcast by The Independent
Details: The planes carrying Trump and Putin landed at the military base in Anchorage on 15 August. The two leaders stepped onto the red carpet at the same time.
Trump and Putin greeted each other with a handshake. Trump even applauded the Russian leader as he walked towards him on the red carpet.


According to AP, F-22 fighter jets and B-2 bombers flew overhead as Trump and Putin shook hands.
The clearest footage showing a B-2 bomber flying over Trump and Putin.pic.twitter.com/YS6eJtHFhk
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 15, 2025
Journalists asked Putin whether he was going to stop killing civilians, but he did not respond. The leaders then got into the same car, where, according to Russian media, they began to chat informally.
Earlier, Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the Trump-Putin talks could go on for six or seven hours.
Later, the talks between Trump and Putin officially began.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are sitting next to the US president, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov are next to the Kremlin leader.
Journalists have been escorted out of the room. The two leaders did not respond to any of the questions they asked.


Background:
- During a press gaggle on Air Force One, Trump said he will not "negotiate for Ukraine" when it comes to territorial issues and that Washington may provide Ukraine with certain security guarantees, but not "in the form of NATO".
- En route to Alaska, Trump also had his first conversation with Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus.
- A source familiar with the matter told NBC News that advisers to both Trump and Putin will attend the meeting.
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