The much-anticipated meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin began in dramatic fashion on Friday, August 15, in Anchorage, Alaska — with a show of American military strength flying directly over Putin’s head.

As Russia’s leader arrived for peace talks over the Ukraine conflict, a U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and four F-35s flew low overhead, moments before he shook hands with Trump. The flyover, which went viral online, was widely seen as a deliberate show of force.

The $2 billion B-2, capable of carrying nuclear weapons and flying 7,000 miles without refueling, is nearly invisible to radar. Trump has used the bomber in past geopolitical moments, including the secretive “Operation Midnight Hammer” against Iran in 2023.

Friday’s Alaska meeting is the first between Trump and Putin since Trump’s return to office. While talks aim to address ending the Ukraine war, tensions remain — with the dramatic bomber pass setting a tone of high-stakes diplomacy backed by U.S. military might.