Russia leaks unseen footage from Trump-Putin showdown that ‘shows true power dynamic’ between the leaders

Russia has released backstage footage from Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, and it has sparked controversy over how the two leaders interacted behind closed doors.

This was the first time Trump and Putin had met in several years, and the main topic on the table was the war in Ukraine. Putin reportedly pushed for Ukraine to give up territory, including regions that Russian troops have not been able to capture, but no deal was reached. Any plan that might satisfy Putin would almost certainly be rejected by Ukraine.

Publicly, Trump greeted Putin warmly, though his tone seemed more serious later in the day. But the leaked video from Russian state media painted a different picture. In it, Trump was smiling and chatting with Putin, who laughed at something he said. They shook hands again, and Trump added his signature move of patting the other person’s hand. A body language expert described this gesture as “the ultimate ego stroke,” suggesting Trump treated Putin almost like a celebrity guest.

The clip, reportedly filmed after their three-hour private meeting, has caused outrage among critics. Many said Trump appeared to be flattering the Russian leader responsible for launching the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Some observers argued the video was intended as a propaganda victory for Putin, showing him as dominant over Trump. Others called it embarrassing on the world stage, especially noting that Putin—who speaks English—chose to have a translator present, which some interpreted as a deliberate power move.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has said that Putin still wants Ukrainian troops to pull out of Zaporizhia and Kherson. Based on the pace of the fighting, they estimate it could take Russia more than four years to capture all the territory it is aiming for, with an additional 1.9 million Russian casualties likely. So far, Russia is believed to have already lost or injured around 1.06 million troops.

Ukraine has been clear that it will not agree to surrender any of its land, no matter what Putin demands.