B-2 Stealth Bomber Flies Over Putin as He Meets Trump in Alaska
US puts up a dramatic display of power as President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet at Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday, with B-2 stealth bomber soaring overhead the world leaders.The two leaders exchanged greetings and shook hands on the runway when Putin arrived at the base for his talks with Trump. As they walked, four F-35s and a B-2 Spirit bomber flew directly over the two leaders. The moment was captured on video, showing the sound of the jets startling the Russian president as he walked alongside Trump on the red carpet. The B-2 Spirit, a symbol of American military might, is capable of can carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons. The same bombers had been used in Operation Midnight Hammer last June, when seven B-2s flew 36 hours non-stop from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Iran.B-2 bombers are equipped for such long-haul flights. The B-2 first entered service in 1997 and each one costs more than $2 billion; the US Air Force has a fleet of 19, after losing one in a crash in 2008. The 37 hours spent to attack Fordow marked the longest B-2 bomber mission since the initial American assault on Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.Next, President Putin faced an unexpected media encounter in Alaska, where reporters bombarded him with questions as he arrived for talks with US President Donald Trump on the Ukraine conflict.Foreign journalists called out questions on issues ranging from civilian casualties to prospects for a ceasefire in the three-year-old war.There was no clear response to whether he would agree to a ceasefire.Such open exchanges are rare at events attended by the Russian leader, where the travelling press pool is generally limited to state-approved reporters.
