The Kremlin's press office reported that US stealth fighters escorted President Vladimir Putin's plane as he left Alaska for Russia. A video released by the Kremlin, filmed from inside Putin's Il-96-300PU aircraft, shows US F-35A fighters flying in close proximity on both sides of the plane, with snow-covered mountains visible below.

While not required, providing a fighter escort for a visiting head of state is a gesture of respect and can signify strong bilateral relations.

Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a three-hour summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on 15/8, followed by an 11-minute joint press conference. This was their first in-person meeting since 2019.

Putin announced that he had reached an agreement with Trump and expressed hope that Ukraine and Europe would not hinder the process of ending the conflict.

Putin acknowledged that US-Russia relations had suffered recently, reaching their lowest point since the Cold War, with no summits in the past 4 years. He proposed holding the next summit in Moscow, a suggestion Trump said was possible.

Trump said he would inform NATO and Ukraine about his meeting with Putin. He assessed that Washington and Moscow had made significant progress, but no agreements had been finalized. Trump also stated he has always had an excellent relationship with Putin.

Huyen Le (According to RIA Novosti, CNN)