Russian President Vladimir Putin had to pay nearly $250,000 (about Rs 2.2 crore) in cash to refuel three aircraft during his visit to Alaska last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed. Vladimir Putin arrived
in Alaska on August 15 for a high-stakes summit with US President Donald Trump, where he was greeted with a red carpet welcome. But according to Marco Rubio, sanctions against Moscow meant his delegation was unable to use international banking systems.
“When the Russians landed in Alaska, they were there to refuel. They had to offer to pay in cash to refuel their aeroplanes because they can’t use our banking system,” Marco Rubio told NBC.
Marco Rubio said all existing sanctions remained fully in place and continued to disrupt Russian access to global finance, adding, “They face consequences every single day, but the bottom line is that it has not altered the direction of this war. That doesn’t mean those sanctions were inappropriate; it means it hasn’t altered the outcome of it.”
Vladimir Putin’s team remained in Alaska for about five hours before leaving shortly after a joint press conference. Donald Trump later confirmed that “no deal” had been reached, though reports suggest Moscow put an offer on the table that Washington encouraged Kyiv to consider.
No Major Breakthrough At Alaska Summit
The summit produced broad remarks about progress on unspecified topics but failed to deliver concrete steps towards a ceasefire in Ukraine- a goal Donald Trump had spoken about before the meeting. Asked whether further sanctions could force Moscow to negotiate, Marco Rubio said additional measures would not likely yield immediate results, noting, “Sanctions take months and sometimes years to bite.”
Wider Diplomacy To Stop Ukraine War
On Monday, Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders in Washington to discuss long-term security assurances for Kyiv. Zelenskyy said he was prepared for direct talks with Vladimir Putin but rejected any settlement that involved surrendering Ukrainian territory.
