Danlevy told Fox News: “The President will arrive at the base, then the Russian President will land, and President (Trump) will be on the tarmac ready to welcome the Russian President in Alaska.” NBC reported: “According to two senior administration officials, Trump is expected to greet Russian President Vladimir Putin with the highest honors upon his arrival at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson today, Friday, as he plans to meet the Russian leader.” Officials confirmed that the exact details of the meeting are still being finalized.
During the first presidential term of US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the American leader six times, with their last meeting occurring in 2019. President Putin’s last visit to the United States was ten years ago, in September 2015, when he delivered a speech at the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
The Kremlin and the White House announced last week that the summit will be held in Alaska on August 15, and Russian President’s aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Russia and the United States are close neighbors, and it makes complete sense for the Russian delegation to fly across the Bering Strait for such an important and anticipated summit between the two countries’ leaders in Alaska.
Yuri Ushakov, the Russian President’s aide, stated that the meeting will begin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson at 22:30 Moscow time, where the presidents will first hold bilateral talks, followed by an expanded meeting with the two countries’ delegations. Alongside Ushakov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and the President’s Special Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, Kirill Dmitriev, will participate in the discussions.
Putin and Trump will deliver brief remarks before the talks, followed by a joint press conference. The Ukrainian crisis will be at the top of the agenda.
