Alaska (BN24) – A tense scene unfolded on Friday when a photocall between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spiraled into chaos, as journalists shouted pointed questions about Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to thesun.com the incident occurred in Alaska, where both leaders arrived for a historic peace summit. After landing, Putin appeared relaxed, flashing a thumbs-up before greeting Trump with a firm handshake on the red carpet. The two then shared a brief private ride in Trump’s presidential limousine, known as The Beast, before proceeding to the summit venue.
Inside, the leaders sat flanked by senior aides for a staged photocall. But the atmosphere quickly turned tense when members of the press pool shouted questions at Putin, pressing him on Russia’s actions in Ukraine. One journalist demanded: “How can the U.S. trust your word? Will you stop killing?”
Putin, smirking, appeared to raise his voice in an attempt to drown out the questioning before the live feed abruptly cut away. Lipreading expert Nicola Hickling told The Sun the Russian leader seemed to shout, “You are ignorant,” while Trump was caught whispering to an aide that he felt “uncomfortable” with the heated exchange.
The unscripted confrontation came as a surprise, since neither leader had been scheduled to speak before the talks began. Observers noted Putin appeared bemused by the media uproar, even as journalists pressed him over Russia’s civilian toll in Ukraine.
The encounter followed tense moments earlier on the tarmac, where reporters shouted at Putin about civilian deaths and pressed Trump on how he could place trust in the Russian leader.
The White House confirmed that the high-stakes summit would proceed under a revised format: a three-on-three meeting. Trump would be joined by Sen. Marco Rubio and businessman Steve Witkoff, while Putin would bring Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and senior adviser Yuri Ushakov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a lengthy post on X, said he was “counting on America” to ensure the summit leads to “a real path toward a just peace and substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format – Ukraine, the United States, and Russia.” Zelensky stressed that “it is time to end the war,” urging Russia to take the necessary steps.
Trump, in remarks earlier this week, condemned Putin’s continued assaults in Ukraine, saying the Russian leader’s “urge to kill might be in his genes.”
The Kremlin has indicated the talks could last up to seven hours, with a press conference scheduled afterward. The opening moments of chaos underscored the high stakes of the summit, which comes amid mounting global pressure for a negotiated end to the war.
