Putin’s delegation took out cash to refuel his aircraft tank in Alaska despite Trump's red carpet welcome; here’s why

When Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Alaska on Friday, August 15, 2025, for a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump regarding the Russia-Ukraine situation, he received a red carpet welcome. However, despite the warm reception, Putin and his delegation had to pay cash to refuel their aircraft. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained this was due to the sanctions imposed by Washington on Moscow.

Speaking about the Trump-Putin Alaska summit, Rubio said that despite Trump’s repeated threats to punish Russia with sanctions for refusing to agree to a ceasefire, Washington has no plan to impose fresh restrictions at this stage. He further asserted that existing sanctions forced Putin’s delegation in Alaska to pay in cash to refuel their planes.

In an interview with NBC News, Rubio said, "Every single sanction that was in place on the day he took over remains, and the impact of all those sanctions remains." He further stated, "When the Russians landed in Alaska … they had to offer to pay in cash to refuel their airplanes because they can't use our banking system.” "They face consequences every single day, but the bottom line is that 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," he continued.


Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday (August 17, 2025) claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war “almost immediately” if he’s willing to make two major concessions.

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” Trump proclaimed in a late-night Truth Social post.

The Alaska summit ended without any agreement to halt the war in Ukraine, despite both leaders hailing the talks as “productive.” The meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, yielded broad statements about progress on unspecified issues but no immediate steps toward a ceasefire, an aim Trump had set ahead of the talks.

The US president said, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” noting progress on “many points” but admitting one “most significant” issue remained unresolved. He plans to brief NATO allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Putin described the talks as “constructive” and suggested Kyiv was just one of several topics discussed, citing potential cooperation in trade, the Arctic, and space. Both leaders refused to share specifics, ending what had been billed as a joint press conference without taking questions.