The US and Russian leaders appeared to have shared a chuckle after getting into the vehicle
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin left together for the summit venue in the American leader’s limousine after greeting each other on the tarmac at Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday.
The two shook hands and walked the red carpet side-by-side before stepping into the vehicle. Putin’s own limousine was waiting nearby, suggesting there had been no prior agreement for them to ride together.
Putin entered first after a brief exchange, with Trump following. Footage showed them talking and smiling as the vehicle departed for the venue of their high-stakes talks.
The New York Times called it “highly unusual” for the leaders of two superpowers – much less “adversaries” – to ride in the same car together. The men appeared to be conversing without interpreters.
The summit in Alaska will address a broad range of issues, primarily the Ukraine conflict, but also bilateral Russia-US relations and possible joint economic projects, according to the Kremlin.
The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, and presidential economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has been a key figure in the Ukraine settlement process.
The US team includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt.
It is the Russian president’s eighth visit to the US and the first in a decade. He previously travelled to America in 2015 to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, during which he held talks with then-US President Barack Obama.
