Watch the moment President Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Anchorage, Alaska, ahead of showdown talks about the Ukraine war.
The two leaders shook hands before walking alongside each other on the red carpet.
President Trump and Putin did not respond to questions from reporters on the tarmac.
The former has shifted his stance on Ukraine on multiple occasions since returning to the White House in January.
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump shake hands on the Anchorage tarmac
|GB NEWS
He clashed with Volodymyr Zelensky in an extraordinary public showdown where he accused the Ukrainian President of “gambling with World War Three” in front of reporters.
The 79-year-old also accused Putin of talking “bull****”, but he also phoned him in February in a move fellow Western leaders denounced.
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The US President has been at odds with many of his Western counterparts throughout his time in office on the matter.
In March, he paused the supply of weapons and intelligence to Ukraine before resuming the flow a week later after Kyiv agreed to a US-proposed 30-day ceasefire.
Donald Trump sat down with Putin
|REUTERS
Putin failed to back the proposal, a move which irked President Trump who hit out at his Russian counterpart for ramping up his offensive in the days following.
Now the pair meet with President Trump steadfast in his belief that a ceasefire can be agreed.
The US President warned that he would “walk” if the meeting does not go well and he will not be happy if a ceasefire is not agreed today.
Speaking of Putin, he said: “He is a smart guy, he’s been doing it for a long time, but so have I.
A meeting between Zelensky, Trump and Vance ended in chaos | Getty“We get a long. There’s good respect level on both sides.”
The aforementioned respect was on display as the US President warmly greeted his Russian counterpart in a move that drew fury from parts of the US media.
Contributors on CNN were quick to remind viewers the Russian leader is wanted for war crimes and argued the moment would legitimise Putin in the eyes of the world.
Many have argued Trump’s showdown talks is a show of a President getting things done at a time where no other Western leader has engaged.
The White House briefed reporters that President Trump would be meeting Putin for a three-on-three meeting, rather than the previously floated one-on-one engagement.
The US President will be joined by his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Marco Rubio, his Secretary of State.
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