President Putin Meets with Archbishop of Sitka and Alaska After Talks with Trump

kremlin.ru

OCP News Service – 16/08/2025

Alaska – USA: Following his negotiations and a joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Archbishop Alexy of Sitka and Alaska. The meeting took place at the Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base.

During their conversation, President Putin conveyed best wishes to Archbishop Alexy from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’. According to the Kremlin’s Telegram channel, Putin said the Patriarch had spoken “with great warmth” about the Archbishop and his own experience attending a service in Alaska, noting how the Orthodox Church originated in the region.

In a symbolic gesture, Putin presented the archbishop with an icon of St. Herman of Alaska, the Orthodox patron saint of America.

The meeting with the Archbishop followed a summit between Presidents Putin and Trump that lasted over two hours. The two leaders’ conversations in the U.S. president’s limousine before the summit and their lengthy, uninterrupted talks were seen as signs of a high level of trust. During the subsequent press conference, Putin expressed Moscow’s desire to end the conflict between the “fraternal peoples” of Russia and Ukraine, while Trump stated that while no deal had been finalized, many agreements had been reached.

Source:

OCP News Service