He was given the red carpet treatment, a military flyover and a rare ride in the presidential limousine.
But nearly six weeks after Vladimir Putin was invited to an historic summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, the U.S. intercepted Russian bombers and fighter jets that flew near the state this week in an apparent test of America’s defense systems.
Two Russian Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers and two Su-35 fighter jets were seen flying in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday, which is international airspace that abuts U.S. and Canadian sovereign airspace.
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) responded by sending four F-16 fighter jets, a surveillance aircraft, and KC-135 tanker planes, “to positively identify and intercept” the Russian aircraft.
The move came a day after Trump branded Russia a “paper tiger” and declared that Ukraine was doing such a good job on the battlefield it could defeat Moscow with the help of the West.
In a stunning reversal of his push for Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Putin, Trump declared on Tuesday that Ukraine was now “in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.”
After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Trump also described Russia as “a paper tiger”—an unflattering reference to something that purports to be strong but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand challenge.
Not surprisingly, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov hit back.
“Russia is more associated with a bear,” he told RCB radio. “There are no ‘paper bears,’ and Russia is a real bear.”
But Wednesday’s activity was not the first time jets have buzzed near Alaska, a state that the country once owned before it was sold to the U.S. in 1867.
And while authorities say the activity was not a direct threat, many view it as the latest in a series of Russian flights that appear to be testing the preparedness of U.S. and allied NATO nations.
In recent weeks, Russia has entered the airspace of Poland, Estonia and Romania, in what leaders have condemned as a provocative escalation.
Another suspected Russian incursion took place in Denmark, where mysterious drones forced the closure of Copenhagen airport on Monday night.
Asked if he believed the NATO member countries should shoot down Russian drones that violate their airspace, Trump replied on Tuesday: “Yes, I do.”
Trump’s meeting with Zelensky in New York marked a significant shift in rhetoric for the U.S. president, whose patience with Putin has been wearing thin.
Since rolling out the red carpet for his Russian counterpart in Alaska, Putin has refused to negotiate in good faith and continued to bomb Ukrainian territory.
In his UN speech, Zelensky thanked Trump for his support, while urging nations to act collectively to end the war.
“Stopping this war now and within the global arms race is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later,” he said.
“Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead… Don’t stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on.”
