The Russian authorities is many issues, however delicate is just not considered one of them. Forward of a extremely anticipated summit on the Russia-Ukraine struggle in Alaska on Friday, Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov engaged in some blatant trolling.
Lavrov arrived in Alaska carrying a CCCP sweatshirt. These are the Russian initials for “USSR,” which stands for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (aka the Soviet Union). Specialists say that Lavrov, who has been Russia’s prime diplomat for roughly 20 years, knew precisely what he was doing by carrying that sweatshirt. “He wouldn’t do that simply by probability,” former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt stated of Lavrov’s sweatshirt through X.
The Russian authorities is many issues, however delicate is just not considered one of them. Forward of a extremely anticipated summit on the Russia-Ukraine struggle in Alaska on Friday, Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov engaged in some blatant trolling.
Lavrov arrived in Alaska carrying a CCCP sweatshirt. These are the Russian initials for “USSR,” which stands for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (aka the Soviet Union). Specialists say that Lavrov, who has been Russia’s prime diplomat for roughly 20 years, knew precisely what he was doing by carrying that sweatshirt. “He wouldn’t do that simply by probability,” former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt stated of Lavrov’s sweatshirt through X.
The struggle in Ukraine—a former Soviet republic—is broadly considered as a product of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nostalgia for the Soviet Union and imperialistic ambitions.
A submit on X by the Wall Road Journal’s Yaroslav Trofimov features a video that reveals Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov strolling from a automobile right into a constructing carrying a CCCP shirt.X screengrab
Putin as soon as referred to the collapse of the us because the “biggest geopolitical disaster of the century.” And, after ordering the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he in contrast himself to Peter the Nice—successfully portraying himself as a righteous conqueror who’s combating to revive management over what he views as Russian lands (a lot of Ukraine was additionally beforehand a part of the Russian Empire).
The Russian president, a former KGB officer, has additionally repeatedly urged that Ukrainians and Russians are “one folks” and stated in June that “the entire of Ukraine is ours.” Putin has falsely claimed that Ukraine, which gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, isn’t an actual nation and was created by Russia.
Alongside these traces, Lavrov’s alternative of apparel garnered a good quantity of consideration by way of the message it appeared to ship about Russia’s mentality heading into the Alaska summit between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Military in Europe, advised International Coverage that Lavrov’s CCCP sweatshirt means that Moscow is taking the assembly “severely” however “not by way of reaching a peaceable settlement.”
Russia views the summit as “one other alternative to flaunt that they haven’t any respect for this U.S. administration,” Hodges added.
Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, posted on X that Lavrov was “trolling Trump” together with his sweatshirt. In the meantime, former Lithuanian overseas minister Gabrielius Landsbergis posted, “‘Simply give us half of Ukraine and we promise we are going to cease’ says negotiator carrying USSR sweatshirt.”
In one other transfer that may very well be seen as an effort to troll Ukraine and the West, the Russian journalists’ in-flight meal en path to Alaska was apparently hen Kiev—a dish bearing the identify of the Ukrainian capital (albeit with its Russian spelling).
Ukraine and its supporters have been nervous within the lead-up to the assembly, worrying that Putin doesn’t genuinely need peace and that he’ll try to govern Trump into embracing a framework for a peace settlement that’s unhealthy for Ukraine. Trump has additionally downplayed expectations for the summit, however as he traveled to Alaska on Friday, he advised reporters aboard Air Pressure One which he desires to see a cease-fire “immediately.”
Hodges stated he has “very low expectations for this so-called summit,” including that Trump’s threats of “extreme penalties” for Russia if there’s no cease-fire settlement “ring hole, because the president has achieved this already 5 or 6 occasions, with none precise penalties for Russia, and Putin is aware of this.”
“Trump’s method is of a businessman from the late Nineties working an actual property deal in Manhattan,” Hodges stated.
Trump is ready to satisfy with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, round 11:30 am native time (3:30 pm ET). If the assembly is constructive, the pair are anticipated to carry a joint press convention on the finish of the summit. The assembly was beforehand billed as a one-one-one between Trump and Putin however will now reportedly be three-on-three. Trump will probably be joined by U.S. particular envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Putin will reportedly be joined by his aide Yuri Ushakov and Lavrov.
This submit is a part of FP’s ongoing protection of the Trump administration. Observe alongside right here.
