“Trump is a de facto producer of his presidency; The flyover was coordinated, as was the handshake and the stroll down the red carpet together with Putin,” the report read.
“They rode together in the presidential limousine; the president showed off the most visible (and loudest) trappings of American power within just a few seconds.”
Two B-2 Spirit bombers had been deployed to Elmendorf earlier this month. Video of their arrival and the subsequent flyover was captured on security cameras and streamed live by the YouTube channel StreamTime LIVE. In June 2025, B-2 bombers were used in strikes against sites tied to Iran’s nuclear program.
In addition to the B-2s, four F-22 Raptor jets were positioned near the red-carpet Putin disembarked on. CNN noted that F-22s have frequently scrambled to intercept Russian strategic bombers and fighters operating within Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends about 200 miles off the state’s western coast.
The Trump-Putin meeting began at 1:30 p.m. local time on the Elmendorf base. The U.S. delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Stephen Witkoff. Besides Putin, Moscow was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.
After the formal session, both sides planned to attend an expanded working lunch with Defense Secretary Pete Hegset, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.