Putin meets Orthodox priest during Alaska visit

Liza Fokht

BBC News Russian, in Alaska

Image source, Kremlin/ EPA Image caption, Russian President Vladimir Putin met Archbishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska during his visit to the US

Before leaving Alaska, Putin spoke with Archbishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska.

I met Archbishop Alexei yesterday at a service at St. Innocent’s Cathedral, on the outskirts of Anchorage, ahead of the Putin-Trump summit.

Alaska, once part of the Russian Empire, is home to 50,000 Orthodox Christians. This week, Archbishop Alexei urged his congregation to pray for the leaders’ talks.

There was a particular focus on the non-aligned Orthodox Church in America in the lead-up to the talks – particularly given the Russian Orthodox Church’s close ties to the Kremlin.

After the service, the Archbishop spoke to the BBC and did not suggest any plans to meet with President Putin.

He did, however, address questions about the war, saying he welcomed dialogue between the leaders and hoped Trump was seeking peace.

The congregation included both Ukrainians affected by shelling and Russians with relatives in the army, he said.

On Putin, he was more cautious: “My message is that repentance is good. Stop hurting people is good. As for Putin and his soul, I’ll leave that elsewhere.”

Putin’s meeting with the archbishop clearly demonstrates the Russian leader’s real priorities.

Instead of the expected hours-long negotiations, Putin once again managed to project the image of a defender of the faith and of all Orthodox Christians – the argument he uses to justify the war in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump believes that his 25% additional tariffs on India for its Russian crude trade made Russia lose a major oil client. Ahead of his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said that similar sanctions on China would be ‘devastating’ for Russia.

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Earlier today, Trump described his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska as “very productive.” However, he noted that some important issues are still unresolved, and no formal agreement has been made yet.

Ahead of the meeting with Putin, Trump told Fox News that Russia has lost India as an oil customer while discussing the economic implications of Putin engaging in negotiations.

When questioned about the economic aspects of Putin’s talks, Trump highlighted India’s involvement, saying, “Well, they lost an oil client so to speak, which is India, which was doing about 40% of the oil, China as you know is doing a lot…and

if I did secondary sanctions, it would be devastating from their standpoint. If I have to do it, I’ll do it, maybe I won’t have to do it,” Trump said during the interview on Air Force One ahead of his talks with Putin.

Trump’s remarks came after his recent decision to implement a 50% tariff on India’s exports to the US, citing India’s oil trade with Russia as the reason.

A few days earlier, on August 7, the US President had announced an additional 25% tariff on India and suggested that further “secondary sanctions” might be imposed related to the same issue.

When questioned about why India was being targeted for additional sanctions when other countries, like China, are also purchasing Russian oil, Trump had responded, “You’re going to see a lot more…You’re going to see so much secondary sanctions.”

He had also suggested that the US administration might impose similar sanctions on China. When asked about potential tariffs on China similar to those on India, Trump replied, “Could happen.

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Depends on how we do. Could happen.”

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50% tariffs and India’s reaction

Last week, Trump signed an Executive Order imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on imports from India. The White House order cited national security and foreign policy concerns, along with other trade laws, stating that India’s imports of Russian oil pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States.

Following the order, the total tariff on Indian goods will rise to 50 percent.

The initial duty will be implemented on August 7, with an additional levy taking effect 21 days later. This additional charge will apply to all Indian goods imported into the US, except for those already in transit or those that qualify for specific exemptions.

In response to this announcement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the US’s decision as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” and stated that New Delhi will take “all necessary actions to safeguard its national interests.”

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The MEA’s official statement noted, “Recently, the United States has targeted India’s oil imports from Russia. We have already clarified our stance on these matters, emphasizing that our imports are driven by market factors and aim to ensure the energy security of India’s 1.4 billion people.”

The statement further expressed, “It is highly regrettable that the US has chosen to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that many other countries are also undertaking in their own national interest. We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable. India will take all necessary actions to protect its national interests,” the MEA emphasized.

Analysis: Putin called the shots throughout his Alaska visit

By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent

For Vladimir Putin, this really couldn’t have gone much better. From the red carpet to the fly-past – the indicted war criminal was feted like a king.

The only other places that have welcomed him like this in recent years are the likes of China and North Korea. Russia’s old friends.

It seems Moscow has now gained a new ally and it was shaped by the body language of bromance.

The Kremlin leader’s most pressing aim in Anchorage was to temper Trump’s frustrations. It was only a week ago that Moscow faced an ultimatum – ceasefire or sanctions.

But there was no mention of either. The word ceasefire and the word sanctions weren’t even uttered once.

The leaders appear to have reached a loose framework. But for what? We don’t know because details were not forthcoming.

But the fact Vladimir Putin spoke of the need to eliminate the “root causes” of the conflict will not fill Ukraine with hope.

That phrase essentially means that Russia’s red lines are as indelible as ever – on territory, neutrality for Ukraine and limits to its armed forces – and Moscow has no intention of watering them down.

Come the press conference, it was abundantly who was calling the shots.

Not only did Vladimir Putin speak first but there were also no questions – both things surely unprecedented in the world of Trump’s media relations.

Given how choreographed Putin’s press conferences usually are, I expect the lack of Q&A was a condition laid down by his team.

All the more remarkable was Trump’s willingness and ability to comply with it – a sign of how much he values his relationship with the Kremlin.

“Pursuing peace” was the summit slogan, but it felt like Vladimir Putin was pursuing something else – the start of a new chapter in US-Russia relations that Ukraine will fear may come at their expense.

US President Donald Trump shifted ground following his Alaska summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the need for a ceasefire in Ukraine ahead of further negotiations.

On his way to Anchorage Friday, Trump told Fox News he would not be happy if the summit did not deliver a ceasefire in the conflict.

“I wouldn’t be thrilled if I didn’t get it,” he said. “Everyone says, ‘You’re not going to get a ceasefire. You – it’ll take place on the second meeting,’ … but I’m not going to be happy with that,” Trump said.

In the event, there was no agreement on a ceasefire, and Trump downplayed its importance in a post on Truth Social as he returned to Washington.

After speaking with Zelensky and European leaders, Trump wrote: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

Before the summit, Ukraine and its European allies issued a statement saying that a ceasefire must precede peace negotiations, which would look at thorny issues such as security guarantees or land swaps.

“We want things to go in the right sequence: We want a ceasefire at the very beginning, and then a framework agreement must be drawn up,” German chancellor Friedrich Merz said at a press conference with Zelensky on Wednesday.

US Russia Alaska Summit Live Updates: Zelensky stated he plans to meet Trump following a call in which the US president briefed him on the “main points” of his discussions with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

US Russia Summit Alaska Live Updates: The high-stakes meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday lasted over two hours, with Trump describing it as a “very productive meeting.” However, no clear position emerged on resolving the war in Ukraine, which Trump characterised as just one among several issues discussed, alongside prospects for expanded trade and business cooperation….Read More

The talks commenced on Friday at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska’s largest US military installation. It has historically served as a Cold War surveillance site monitoring the Soviet Union.

Alongside Trump were US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the Russian side hopes to continue this “useful conversation” during Friday’s Russia-US summit in Alaska.

This marked Putin’s first visit to Western soil since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, with Russia showing no signs of slowing its military advances just prior to the summit.

What happened in the Trump-Putin meeting?

At the event, Putin spoke first, describing the talks as useful and saying they took place “in a constructive atmosphere.” He referred to unspecified agreements with Trump and indicated that Ukraine was just one of several topics raised, highlighting the potential for greater trade and business ties, along with cooperation in the Arctic and space exploration.

Putin thanked Trump for the “friendly” tone of their discussions and stressed that Russia and the United States should “turn the page and go back to cooperation.”

He commended Trump as someone who “has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests.”

This came after the longest ever face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. Yet, despite their extensive conversation, neither offered clarity on what was discussed or where common ground was reached — a vagueness likely to heighten concerns in European capitals and in Kyiv about being sidelined in any agreement.

“We had a very productive meeting. There were many, many points that we agreed on — most of them I would say — a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite gotten there, but we’ve made some headway,” Trump said, adding that he would brief Zelenskiy and NATO allies on the summit’s outcome.

Trump closed his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, “we’ll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.” When Putin smiled and suggested, “next time in Moscow,” Trump replied, “that’s an interesting one” and admitted he could face criticism but “I could see it possibly happening.”

The summit on Friday began with a carefully staged scene, with Trump welcoming Putin to American soil — his first US visit in nearly ten years. The two met on the tarmac, where Trump applauded as Putin approached, greeting him with a firm handshake and a pat on the arm. For Putin, the occasion offered an opportunity to reset ties with Washington, and it suggested his charm offensive before the summit could prove effective. He is also keen to drive a wedge between the US and Europe, while seeking relief from sanctions at a time when Russia’s economy risks sliding into recession.

Despite the high-profile nature of the meeting, it ended without an agreement to stop — or even pause — the ongoing conflict, the largest land war in Europe since 1945, which has dragged on for over three years. The two leaders were expected to address the press jointly, but instead gave separate brief remarks. Putin spoke first, followed by Trump, before both departed without taking questions.