Putin Gets Warm Welcome From Trump At Alaska Summit, Including A Ride In 'the Beast'

Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t person asked for a amended reception.

He was greeted pinch a reddish carpet, a pitchy fly-over and a thrust pinch President Donald Trump successful nan armored statesmanlike Cadillac limousine known arsenic “The Beast.”

Putin’s beaming grin successful nan model of nan limo arsenic they drove disconnected nan tarmac together summed up nan moment.

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin thrust successful nan statesmanlike limousine astatine Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson connected Friday.NBC News

Trump said Thursday that “within nan first 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 aliases 5 minutes” he would cognize whether nan acme would beryllium a “good gathering aliases a bad meeting.”

The limo thrust pinch Putin lasted astatine slightest 10 minutes.

It is not wholly clear whether nan scheme was to person Putin thrust pinch Trump. An NBC News shaper spotted a car pinch Moscow plates connected nan tarmac that appeared to beryllium waiting for nan Russian president.

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The expansive invited and lukewarm handshakes betwixt nan 2 leaders group a congenial reside for what was expected to beryllium reliable negotiations connected resolving an highly bloody conflict that has near tens of thousands dormant connected some sides.

The optics of those first interactions aren't apt to beryllium mislaid connected nan millions of Ukrainians watching really Putin was received, and really it contrasted pinch their ain president's reception astatine nan White House successful February, erstwhile Volodymyr Zelenskyy was harangued by Trump successful beforehand of TV cameras. Zelenskyy whitethorn beryllium invited to nan adjacent information of talks, but for galore watching this gathering betwixt Trump and Putin it whitethorn look clear who has nan precocious hand.

President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin arsenic he arrives astatine Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson connected Friday.Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Friday's gathering wasn't nan first clip a Russian and American president rode together successful nan statesmanlike limo. In 2010, President Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev some rode successful The Beast to person luncheon astatine Ray’s Hell Burger successful Arlington, Va.

But Medvedev, dissimilar Trump, had not been accused of warfare crimes by nan International Criminal Court, nor was he progressive successful a conflict that critics person called a blatant onshore grab.