As President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met and shook hands at an airfield in Anchorage on Friday to discuss a potential peace agreement in the war between Russia and Ukraine, Trump flew a U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber over the site.
The overflight took place shortly after Air Force One brought Trump to Alaska from Washington, DC, where he departed just after 8:00 a.m. ET for what the White House has described as a “direct and urgent” diplomatic effort.
Putin traveled to Anchorage for the summit at Trump’s invitation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not present in Alaska but is expected to be involved in subsequent talks if an initial framework is agreed upon.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One earlier in the day, Trump reiterated that Russia would face “economically severe” consequences if he determines during the meeting that Putin is not serious about a settlement. “I’m not doing this for my health,” Trump said. “I’d like to focus on our country, but I’m doing this to save a lot of lives.”
Trump confirmed that potential territorial swaps would be discussed but emphasized that the decision rests with Ukraine. “I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I’m here to get them at a table,” he stated.
The B-2 Spirit bomber Trump flew on Friday is the same aircraft type used in June’s Operation Midnight Hammer, a 37-hour round-trip mission from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri that targeted three Iranian nuclear sites, including the underground Fordow facility. The mission, which involved dropping GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, was described by military officials as one of the “longest” and most “complex” in the bomber’s history.
First entering service in 1997, the B-2 bomber is a two-pilot, flying-wing aircraft with a 172-foot wingspan and a cost of approximately $2 billion each. It is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons and is known for its stealth capabilities, allowing it to penetrate heavily defended airspace undetected.
Friday’s Alaska summit is part of a series of diplomatic efforts by Trump in recent months, during which he has brokered or facilitated ceasefires and peace agreements in multiple regions, including between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Read the full article here