Russian Delegation Leaves Without Meal
"White House Edits and Posts Trump Applauding Putin on Social Media"
The summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, held in Alaska on the 15th (local time), ended without even the scheduled luncheon between the two sides, marking their first summit in six years.
US President Donald Trump (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands after concluding a joint press conference following their meeting on the 15th (local time) at Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Base in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
The Guardian and other British media reported that the working lunch planned between the two leaders and their delegations was canceled, as discussions regarding a ceasefire in the Ukraine war failed to produce any tangible results.
The US side had prepared filet steak for the meal, but it was reported that the Russian delegation left without eating.
This stands in stark contrast to the summit between President Trump and President Putin in Helsinki, Finland, in July 2018, when a luncheon was held.
According to a photo of the luncheon room captured by The New York Times at the time, Trump and Putin were seated facing each other at the center of a long table.
On the US side, former Chief of Staff John Kelly, former National Security Council (NSC) Senior Director for Europe and Asia Fiona Hill, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were present.
On the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin Foreign Policy Advisor Yuri Ushakov, and Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov-who also attended the Alaska summit-were seated.
The exact reason for the luncheon’s cancellation was not disclosed. Some speculate that the meeting ended earlier than expected.
According to NBC, Spokesperson Peskov told Russian state media before the summit that the US-Russia summit, delegation meetings, and joint press conference would "take at least six to seven hours."
However, contrary to his expectations, the US and Russian leaders concluded their meeting at Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Base in Anchorage in just over two and a half hours.
The two leaders had initially planned to hold an expanded meeting with their economic ministers and other officials after a 3-on-3 meeting with their key aides, but they skipped the expanded session and proceeded directly to the joint press conference.
Afterward, President Putin and the Russian delegation were seen moving in a motorcade to board their flight back to Russia.
Meanwhile, there were reports that when President Putin arrived at the base for the summit, the US White House edited and posted footage on its official social media showing President Trump clapping as a gesture of welcome.
Live broadcast footage at the time shows President Trump waiting on the red carpet and clapping three times to greet President Putin.
However, the clip posted by the White House on social media begins one second after President Trump’s final clap.
In contrast, according to The Guardian, the Russian Kremlin Press Office distributed footage to media outlets showing President Trump applauding President Putin.
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