Trump stands by the red carpet, clapping to welcome Putin, who quickly approaches and they shake hands firmly, with smiles on their faces…
Diplomacy is not trivial; details are important. Some seemingly inconsequential details often reveal profound signals.
There is no doubt that the August 15th meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska was a historic encounter.
This marked the first meeting between Russian and American leaders since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the first visit of the Russian President to the United States since 2015, and the first visit of Russian (including the Soviet) leaders to Alaska.
It’s purely personal opinion, but here are ten profound details.
Detail one: The red carpet welcome.
The red carpet, military guards, and Trump personally applauding at the airport.
It’s more like an old friend meeting than welcoming an old rival.
At Trump’s invitation, Putin also took the “Beast” presidential vehicle, heading to the venue together.
Many noticed that Putin’s official car was actually waiting nearby, meaning it was Trump’s spontaneous decision to meet face-to-face, as Vladimir, let’s go hand in hand.
I saw Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova mockingly comment that for three years, Western media has been “talking about Russia’s isolation,” which can be described as obsessed, almost completely insane.
“Today they see, the United States spreads out the red carpet to welcome the Russian President.”
Detail two: The formation of fighter jets over.
After all, it’s a U.S. military base. During Putin and Trump’s meeting, observers noted that behind them, two U.S. F-22 stealth fighter jets were parked on either side.
As they walked down the red carpet, U.S. fighter jets formed a formation, roaring overhead from the airport. Looking up, there were a B-2 stealth strategic bomber and four F-35 stealth fighters.
It’s certainly not by chance; undoubtedly, Trump showed off America’s military power to Putin.
After all, it was a feast for the eyes, serving as a kind of pre-emptive strike.
Of course, Russia wasn’t without its moves either. This time in Alaska, observers noted that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov specifically wore a sweater with the words “CCCP (Soviet Union)” printed on it as he entered the hotel.
Reuters described this as a “weird and special scene” before the summit, while some Western media interpreted Lavrov’s actions as a sarcastic dig at the West and nostalgia for the Soviet era.
Detail three: 3+3 instead of 1+1.
Originally, there were only 1+1, meaning Trump and Putin meeting each other, with just one translator.
In past meetings between Trump and Putin, they had also convened in 1+1 format.
Before the meeting began, the White House suddenly informed the media that it would not be 1+1 but 3+3.
This meant that besides Trump and Putin, the US side included US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Middle East envoy Vitek Krivoshein; the Russian side included Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Presidential Assistant Dmitry Ushakov, all joining the talks.
It’s likely that the US side was genuinely uneasy about Trump being led into a corner by Putin, concerned about future media manipulations, so bringing in four seasoned players seemed prudent.
Detail four: significant progress.
Three hours into the talks, Putin and Trump reconvened.
Putin took the lead, setting the tone: “Our talks are constructive, we respect each other, which is very useful…”
“We have held an extremely productive meeting and reached consensus on many issues,” Trump said. “There are only a few remaining, some of which are not particularly important, but one is most critical, and we are very likely to achieve this goal.”
Certainly, Western media reported,
there was significant progress, but no agreement was reached.
As for what exchange of land concerns?
Both Putin and Trump did not mention it.
However, Putin warned Europe and Ukraine not to disrupt “new progress.”
Implicitly, if there is no ceasefire next, it will mainly be Europe and Ukraine causing trouble.
“I will call the NATO shortly, and I’ll be calling various people I think are appropriate. Of course, I’ll also call President Zelensky to inform them of today’s meeting.”
That means Trump is going to be very busy.
Call after call, reaching out to Macron, Stambolovich, Moutzou, and more, especially to President Zelensky.
He might also caution them not to jeopardize “new breakthroughs.”
It’s not ruled out that Putin has a series of calls to make as well.
This is an interesting detail: meeting old friends, how can you not praise them?
“Dear neighbor,” Trump greets him, expressing his pleasure at seeing him in good health.
“Clearly knowing what he wants to achieve, sincerely caring about the prosperity of the country, and understanding Russia’s own national interests.”
He said that Trump once mentioned that if he were in power, the crisis in Ukraine would not have occurred.
“I can confirm that.”
There’s no greater compliment than this. Trump is pleased by it.
“Maintaining excellent direct contact.”
On Western social media, many have posted photos of Trump meeting with Putin and President Zelensky.
Without comparison, there’s no harm.
Detail seven, not just Ukraine.
“I expect today’s agreement to not only serve as a reference point for solving the Ukraine issue but also mark the beginning of a resumption of business and pragmatic relations between Russia and the United States.”
Well, the US says there’s progress, and Putin says there’s an agreement.
And there’s cooperation between the US and Russia, expanding business.
“Interactions in the Arctic, restoring regional contacts, including our Far East and the West Coast of the US, seem important as well.”
“Sincerely interested in ending the war in Ukraine, but to do so, all the fundamental causes of the crisis… must be eliminated.”
”
“It is imperative to consider all reasonable concerns of Russia, and to restore a fair balance in the security realms of Europe and the world.”
The Ukraine issue is just one aspect of the relationship between the United States and Russia. It does not exclude the possibility that, following the summit, the United States might lift its sanctions on Russia, completely reshaping the relationship between the two countries, which could then impact the entire Eurasian geopolitical landscape and the global order.
Detail Eight: Visiting the Martyrs’ Cemetery.
Although he spent only four hours in Alaska, three hours with Trump, Putin immediately went to a military cemetery to mourn Soviet pilots who had died during World War II.
He knelt on one knee, offering a bouquet of red roses.
During his meeting with Trump, especially in Alaska, “the great Russian cultural heritage” was preserved.
“There are many Orthodox churches, over 700 originating from Russia.”
This should contain complex meanings. The special relationship between Alaska and Russia (the Russian Empire) and the unique bond between the United States and Russia during World War II.
On this day, let’s not forget August 15th.
Putin’s visit to lay flowers must have had deeper significance.
Detail Nine: Self-rating at 10 points.
After bidding farewell to Putin, he was asked by Fox News to rate the summit.
“Based on a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 10.”
There were no higher ratings, and Trump felt everything was perfect.
Looking around, there were also many Americans criticizing Trump for letting Putin win; however, more importantly, those who had previously criticized Putin and Trump were also happy.
CNN commentator Zakaria said:
“I think everyone was worried that Trump would make a significant concession in the agreement. I don’t think anyone expected Putin to make any concessions. People were worried about Donald Trump being compelled to sell Ukraine or Europe in various ways. But he didn’t do that. So I think, you know, I at least took a sigh of relief.”
”
It’s rare to find such a win-win situation.
Details 10, next time in Moscow.
We plan to stop this bloody conflict… Like me, President Putin also hopes for the same. Therefore, Mr. President, I would like to once again express my gratitude. We will have another conversation soon, Volodymyr, and we might meet again very soon…”
Trump turned towards Putin.
“Next time, we’ll be in Moscow.”
“Wow, that’s quite interesting… I might get criticized for it, but I think it’s possible.”
Well, let’s meet again in Moscow!
The whole world was astonished.
After three years of fierce warfare and various extreme sanctions, what a surprising outcome.