&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Scare tactic? B-2 bomber, fighter jets buzz Putin as he arrives for summit with Trump on Ukraine war")
A B2 bomber and fighter jets flew over them as Vladimir Putin was walking on the tarmac of a US airbase as he joined US President Donald Trump for the Alaska 2025 summit on the Ukraine war on Friday (Aug 15). Was it a threat or a mark of respect? The internet is interpreting it differently.
B2 bomber diplomacy: Was the US sending Putin a message?
After the initial greetings, as the presidents were walking a red carpet on the tarmac, Putin could not help but turn his head as the five jets made quite a noise while flying above the two leaders. There was a B-2 stealth bomber and a squadron of F-22 Raptors thundering overhead.
Fear factor: A flyover with bite
The flyby wasn’t just a coincidence, with analysts noting it as a clear power play. The US was most likely flexing its nuclear muscles right before the Ukraine war negotiations.
The B2s aren't your average jets: they're ultra-rare, nuclear-capable, and were used in June in a strike on Iran, which Trump claimed had destroyed its nuclear programme. Now they're buzzing over Putin.
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Trump had already warned of ‘consequences’
Trump had used words like ‘Putin can’t mess with me' and talked about “very severe consequences” if the talks fail. The bombers were quite possibly an amplification of that messaging.
B2 bombers for Putin a ‘humiliation move’?
Some on X called it a “humiliation move,” with others pointing out that hosting the summit in Alaska—a former Russian territory—was itself a rubbing of salt for Russia.
Some others called it a Cold War flashback and a psychological tactic, a throwback to the muscle-flexing days of the US vs the Soviet Union.
One observer termed it a “dangerous game of flex and bluff.”
Putin got a VIP welcome, but with wings
There's a section of social media users who think the fighter jets were a display of honour to the visiting head of state.
The body language was not easy to decipher: Trump clapped and welcomed Putin, and the two were all smiles. Putin appeared to grin when the fighter jets flew overhead.
Theatre or tactic?
It could be a bit of both respect and a show of strength.
Technically, the jets were part of an ongoing US exercise, but the timing was way too perfect to ignore.
The Pentagon has not made any comments on the same.
Was Trump sending the message: I'm here to talk, but brought the bombers just in case? We will know in a few hours.
