Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov wore a USSR sweatshirt when he arrived in Anchorage for a summit with US President Donald Trump, referencing the Soviet era.
He arrived in Alaska before President Vladimir Putin as part of Russia’s delegation. Stepping out of a black vehicle ahead of the summit, he wore a black vest over a sweatshirt that seemed to say “CCCP,” the Russian abbreviation for USSR.
Many of Russia’s senior delegation in Alaska, including Lavrov, started their careers in the Soviet Union and have been accused by the Russian opposition of still holding a Soviet imperialist mindset.
In areas of Ukraine under Russian control, pro-Moscow authorities have removed monuments remembering Ukrainians who suffered under Soviet rule, including memorials for Holodomor victims, the 1930s famine that killed millions, reported The Guardian.
Former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis joked on X about Lavrov’s sweatshirt, “‘Just give us half of Ukraine and we promise we will stop,’ says negotiator wearing USSR sweatshirt.”
{{/usCountry}}Former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis joked on X about Lavrov’s sweatshirt, “‘Just give us half of Ukraine and we promise we will stop,’ says negotiator wearing USSR sweatshirt.”
{{/usCountry}}Russian fashion bloggers on Telegram pointed out that the $120 sweatshirt was made by Selsovet, a Chelyabinsk brand known for “Soviet heritage” clothing.
The foreign minister said ahead of the summit that Russia “never plans ahead,” responding to US President Trump’s Thursday remark that there was a 25 per cent chance the Ukraine-Russia peace talks could fail.
“We know that we have arguments, a clear, understandable position. We will state it,” Lavrov said in footage posted to the Russian foreign ministry's Telegram channel.
The long-awaited summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin kicked off with a ceremonial welcome and a flyover by roaring jets at an Alaska military base but ended on a muted note Friday, as both leaders admitted they had not reached any agreement on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
After roughly two and a half hours of discussions at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, the leaders faced the media for what was expected to be a joint news conference, but no questions were taken.
“We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to; there are just a very few that are left. We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,” said Trump.