President Donald Trump greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin with a warm handshake and a smile as the two leaders began peace negotiations in Alaska.
The US President landed in Air Force One at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage half-an-hour before Putin on Friday.
The leaders walked down their respective red carpets under grey skies and Mr Trump clapped as the Russian president approached him.
He greeted his Russian counterpart with a handshake and the two leaders posed for photographs before getting into Trump’s presidential car, known as The Beast, together in a highly unusual move.
Following a short drive to a venue inside the air base, the leaders were seated in a room with their aides in front of a blue backdrop that had the words “Pursuing Peace” printed on it.
They didn’t take any questions but Trump said, “Thank you” to reporters who were briefly in the room.
Mr Trump has faced criticism from US media who warned his warm welcome would legitimise Putin in the eyes of the world, while proving a propaganda coup for Kremlin media outlets.
The US President has previously warned that he would “walk” if the meeting doesn’t go well and that he will not be happy if a ceasefire is not agreed today.
Plans for a one-on-one talk between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin may have been dropped – they are currently meeting alongside close aides – but the Russian leader had the US president all to himself earlier today.
Putin was chauffeured from the tarmac of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to the meeting place in the bomb-proof presidential limousine known as “The Beast”.
The ride marks a rare honour for a foreign leader, let alone one who is wanted for war crimes.
In Mr Trump’s first term, only Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Shinzo Abe – the Japanese prime minister who cultivated a close relationship with the president – had the same experience.
Mr Trump and Putin were in “The Beast” for roughly ten minutes before arriving at a meeting spot.
Contributors on US media suggested the Russian leader would use the opportunity to win over Mr Trump ahead of more formal talks, while he was isolated from aides in the back of the limousine.
Telegraph
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
