Russian journalists and diplomats have reached Anchorage, Alaska, ahead of the highly anticipated Vladimir Putin–Donald Trump summit on August 15. Reports from the scene paint a picture of limited lodging, unexpected wildlife encounters, and tight military security.
From Hotels to Stadium Beds
According to Kremlin pool correspondent Alexander Yunashov, the Russian delegation was placed in a small, local hotel adorned with taxidermy displays and a simple diner menu of burgers, sandwiches, and salads. However, some Russian media representatives were lodged for free inside the University of Alaska sports arena due to limited accommodation in the city of under 300,000 residents.
Channel “360” shared footage of the makeshift stadium camp — complete with cots, partitions, and showers — describing the setup as “harsh conditions.” Yunashov noted that such unusual arrangements were not unprecedented, recalling previous assignments in tents, sanatoriums, and on ships.
Moose Intrusion and Social Media Humor
During the trip, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan joked that journalists on the special flight were served chicken Kiev. Social media also buzzed about a man resembling Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov seen dining near a group of “very Russian-looking” men, as well as a moose attempting to enter Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, the summit venue. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova quipped that it was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky trying to get in.
'Warm Welcome, Cold Showers'
Kommersant special correspondent Andrey Kolesnikov described Anchorage as reminiscent of Russia’s Yaroslavl region, with birch trees and overcast skies. He reported journalists sleeping in a tented hospital area inside the stadium, facing long queues for sinks and showers in the morning. “Some were so shocked by the sight that I wondered where the ICU wards with ventilators were,” he joked.
Lavrov’s Soviet Sweater and Summit Details
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Anchorage wearing a sweater emblazoned with “USSR” and dismissed questions about summit nerves with, “What is that?” He noted he had visited Alaska before.
The summit between Putin and Trump will take place at 22:30 Moscow time on August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson. It marks the first visit of a sitting Russian president to Alaska; the last visit by a Russian leader was Boris Yeltsin’s in 2005.
Delegations and Agenda
The Russian team will include Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, presidential aide Yury Ushakov, and special envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The U.S. delegation will be led by President Donald Trump, joined by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The leaders will first meet tête-à-tête, with Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, “He wants to sit across from the Russian president, look him in the eye, and see what progress can be made.” A working breakfast will follow. The primary topic will be resolving the Ukraine conflict, and parallel U.S. military exercises will ensure summit security.
