Ukrainians living under near daily Russian bombardment in Kyiv watched with astonishment as their country's most important ally rolled out a red carpet in Alaska for the man they blame for over three years of bloodshed. Natalya Lypei, 66, a Kyiv resident, did a double take, the AP reports. But the images flashing on her phone screen were genuine: President Trump greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin warmly on Friday and clapped as his guest approached him after having been escorted into the country for their meeting by four American fighter jets.
Trump also ignored the arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court that has kept him mostly confined at home or in nations that are strong allies. "How can you welcome a tyrant like that?" Lypei asked. The red-carpet treatment, the lack of concrete decisions for Ukraine, and the neglect of the significance of sanctions—a policy that could turn the tide in Kyiv's favor—felt like a betrayal for Ukrainians who have suffered for almost 3½ years since Russia's full-scale invasion. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian service members have been killed and wounded, thousands of civilians have died in Russian strikes, and a fifth of the country is under occupation, severing families, properties, and Ukraine's territorial integrity. On Ukrainian social media, memes of Putin and Trump walking down a red carpet strewn with dead Ukrainian bodies were widely shared.
Russian reaction: State media and government officials celebrated the warm welcome and the fact that Trump greeted as an equal a man accused of war crimes. A Foreign ministry spokesperson mocked Western news media just after Putin landed in Alaska. "For three years they told everyone Russia was isolated and today they saw a beautiful red carpet laid out for the Russian president in the US," Maria Zakharova said, per the Guardian. A Channel One morning news bulletin on Saturday highlighted the pomp denied to Putin by other nations since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. "The red carpet and handshakes … are in all global publications and TV channels," a host said, pointing out that it was the first time Trump had met a visiting leader at the airport. The pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda described the welcome as a signal of "utmost respect," per the AP.