The ruthless Russian dictator touched down in Anchorage, Alaska this evening for talks with Donald Trump – and was asked some pointed questions before the talks opened
Vladimir Putin gave a chilling response as he was asked whether he plans to keep killing civilians.
The ruthless Russian dictator touched down in Anchorage, Alaska this evening for talks with Donald Trump.
The two men walked off their respective planes, down an L-shaped red carpet to a podium where they posed for photos, as US stealth bombers and recon aircraft flew overhead.
It comes after Keir Starmer gave Volodymyr Zelensky a special greeting in the UK.
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Trump bizarrely applauded Putin as he approached the podium.
And they shook hands warmly as members of the media shouted questions towards them.
One asked: “Will you stop killing civilians?”
In response, Putin smiled and pointed to his ear, before shrugging – indicating he couldn’t understand the question.
Putin speaks English.
What was originally planned to be a one-to-one meeting will now be three-on-three, after a last minute change of format.
On Trump’s side envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in the room.
On Putin’s side, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov will sit in on the meeting.
But there was a one-on-one moment – as Trump took the unusual step of allowing Putin to ride to the talks with him in The Beast – his armoured limo.
It gave Putin the President’s ear for a few moments – alone, and without interpreters – before walking into the meeting.
Many see the Trump hosting Putin on US soil – particularly in Alaska, which some hardliners in Russia still believe is part of Russia – as a diplomatic win for Putin.
Putin is a pariah, and wanted for war crimes in countries that recognise the International Criminal Court. The US does not.
As Trump and Putin shook hands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage, F-22s and B2 bombers soared above. Neither plane entered active service until after the Cold War had ended but their design and development began during the 1970s and 1980s when the U.S.-Soviet rivalry was at its height.
The presence of the planes during the red carpet welcome afforded to Putin by summit host Trump may have been intended to remind the Russian leader of U.S. military might as the pair head in to talks focused on Russia’s war with Ukraine.