Kremlin brags about US jets escorting Putin’s plane after Alaska summit
The Kremlin bragged about U.S. fighter jets escorting Russian President Vladimir Putin's plane from Alaska on Aug. 16, following his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
"American fighter jets escorted the Russian president's plane on its way from Alaska to Russia," the Kremlin wrote on Telegram, sharing a video filmed from the aircraft.
The Aug. 15 summit marked Putin's first visit to the U.S. since 2015 and a break from the international isolation imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. During the visit, Putin received a red-carpet welcome, which top Russian officials later celebrated on social media. Putin looked visibly uplifted during the trip.
The fighter jets seen in the video are U.S. F-35 supersonic stealth aircraft — the country’s most advanced multirole fighters — produced by defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. The "AK" tail code on the jets indicates they are based at U.S. Air Force installations in Alaska.
The Trump-Putin meeting did not yield any agreement to bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine closer. Instead, the main outcome was widely seen as Moscow’s break from international isolation — a significant win for Putin both domestically and internationally.
Since launching the full-scale invasion, Putin has faced international isolation, limiting his travel to close allies and regional partners such as China, Iran, and North Korea, while avoiding Western capitals entirely.
His options became even more restricted after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him in March 2023 over the kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children from occupied territories. The U.S. is not among the 125 countries that are party to the ICC and was not obliged to arrest Putin on its territory.
Russia’s reintegration into global diplomacy began after Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2025. Within weeks, the two leaders held their first phone call, ending the communication freeze imposed during Joe Biden's presidency.
Trump praised the Aug. 15 meeting with Putin as a 10 out of 10, despite not reaching any peace agreements. He said he and Putin agreed on many points and made some headway toward a deal, including on territorial swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Aug. 18 to discuss ending Russia's war in Ukraine, following a call between the two leaders on Aug. 16.
