The turnout was smart even if predictable, the branding on point, but the results of the much-anticipated meeting between two presidents were as hollow as a handshake with a ghost

It’s been described as a “high-stake moment on the geopolitical stage”. Yet, it was a low-impact date of no real consequence. In Anchorage, Alaska hours ago, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin each flew in on their respective presidential planes in a highly choreographed arrival at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and greeted each other with a handshake on the red-carpeted tarmac. They appeared delighted to see each other, like long-lost bros, Mr Trump even clapping as his Russian guest, a war criminal*, approached him. This was Mr Putin’s first steps—and they were brisk—on Western ground after his attack on Ukraine in 2022. The welcome was clearly dressed for broadcast. This was not going to be a quiet summit. This was a preface to the ensuing diplomatic theatre.

At the point where the men met and took each other’s right hand for a rather long shake, the setting was meant to impress and show what a presidential welcome Mr Trump could stage. In the background was the imposing Air Force One. Flanking the red carpet were pairs of F-22 Raptors. As the men walked towards a stage fronted by the sign Alaska 2025, fighter jets, reported to be a B-2 bomber and four F-35 fighter jets, roared past above them. Military honors, including flyovers, are a traditional part of formal state visits and diplomatic ceremonies. They are a sign of respect for the visiting dignitary and the country they represent. You’d never guess that this was all for an adversarial leader who initiated what is believed to be the largest land war in Europe since World War II.

You’d never guess that this was all for an adversarial leader who initiated what is believed to be the largest land war in Europe since World War II

Just as the tarmac of the air base was appropriately kitted, both men were togged with presidential flair. The American president was in his usual navy suit, white shirt and red tie. Mr Putin was in a black suit, a while shirt, and a significantly darker red tie. That both chose dark suits is understandable—this is a common practice, more so at high-level meetings. While they have not have purposefully coordinated their attire as dating couples do, the similar looks can also be seen as a visual representation of the leaders meeting as equals on the world stage. Unlike Mr Trump, however, the former KGB agent had the first button of his suit fittingly fastened. Mr Putin’s buttoned jacket appeared to be a statement of discipline, formality, and respect for protocol. His host’s unbuttoned choice spoke of a more unconventional, firebrand style: an eff you against the very rules of the diplomatic elite he is meeting with.

When the men stood side-by-side, Mr Trump’s shoulders of his jacket looked rounded as opposed to Mr Putin’s straighter and sharper line. In fact, the Russian president chose a trimmer and more exacting silhouette. Although he is often seen in more informal outdoor clothes (unlike Mr Trump who is mostly dons casual wear on his golf courses), his tailoring choices project an image of a meticulous and calculated leader. He wears his clothing as a form of armor to project control and order. By contrast, Mr Trump’s suit was, as expected, of a loose fit and bolstered by those unflattering, over-padded shoulder. Although both men are known to wear Brioni suits, MAGA’s main man could have picked his at a warehouse sale. The contrast is a perfect visual summary of their differing approaches to power: one precise, one populist.

And there are the reds of the ties they chose. While neckwear can be selected as an afterthought, the colour is often not. Mr Trump is famous for his red ties, but he tends to like his bright, and garishly so. Observers say that his favourite shades of red are purposefully “unsophisticated” to better align himself with his base than with the traditional fashion establishment. In a sea of dark suits, the hue that looks ready to combust is an exclamation mark of power. Mr Putin’s maroon showed restrained taste and the redundancy of visual assertion. While their similar attires in Alaska might have suggested a common purpose, the reporting on the meeting highlights the significant differences in their approaches to the conflict in Ukraine.

The bromance date essentially came to naught: no end of war, not even a ceasefire. In remarks made to the media later, Mr Putin said there were “agreements” but did not specify them, while Mr Trump described the meeting as “extremely productive”. Not one of them spoke of the much-awaited halt to the fighting in Ukraine, or even referred to it. The two men may have dressed alike, but their fundamental strategies on how to bring the conflict to an end could not be tailored from the same cloth. The sum of powerful optics and atmospherics regrettably did not amount to real diplomatic substance. But unlike Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin was not mocked for his clothing choice. And he received a welcome that made the former’s arrival at the White House door last February an ushering into the centre of chaos and cruelty. In Alaska, 8,000 kilometres from the ongoing war and bombing, peace for Ukraine was as absent as its president at the summit.

*On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. The warrant alleges his responsibility for the war crime of the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation

Screen shots: (top) NBC News and (bottom) CNN