The Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin summit on August 15 held at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska will go down in history for its sheer symbolism and the open show of force by the holy trinity of American B-2 Spirits, the F-35 Lightning II, and the F-22 Raptor, in front of the influential Russian chieftain.
As the Russian President walked on the tarmac and up to the podium, along with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, a B-2 bombers escorted by four F-35 fighters were seen flying overhead the leaders. Footage of the flyover published online shows Putin looking up to see the bomber in all its glory.
The move has been seen as a show of force and muscle flexing by Donald Trump, who has recently taken a tough tone on Russia and warned the country of unknown but serious consequences if it did not end the Ukraine War.
As the footage got traction online, several military analysts remarked that “Trump knows how to negotiate while flexing muscle in front of Putin.”
In addition to the B-2 and the F-35 flying overhead, Putin and Trump were seen walking together, with F-22 Raptors on either side. The trio represents the pinnacle of stealth air power of the United States Air Force, and was last seen flying together at the “Fourth of July” celebrations at the White House.
The presence of B-2 bombers in Alaska garnered the most limelight, especially as it came months after the bombers were deployed to bomb nuclear facilities in Iran as part of ‘Operation Midnight Hammer.’
The B-2s entered the Iranian territory without any resistance, dropped the GBU-57 at its fortified nuclear facilities, and left without an incident. The bombers have since been positioned as heroes of the USAF and repeatedly praised by the US President.
Trump just flew a B-2 stealth bomber over Putin’s head…
Absolutely incredible. pic.twitter.com/2bsnssRv9f
— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) August 15, 2025
When the B-2s embarked on the mission against Iran, they passed through airspace that is generally monitored by Russians using two different kinds of radar systems: Voronezh early warning radars and Container over-the-horizon (OTH) radars, which, in theory, are capable of identifying stealth aircraft.
The bombers likely deceived the Russian radars as they flew to their designated targets, as previously explained by the EurAsian Times. Notably, Russia is a close Iranian ally, but did not provide it military support when it was struck by Israeli and the United States aircraft in June 2025.
The B-2 bombers were developed as a platform that could launch nuclear strikes on the former Soviet Union. However, since the USSR disintegrated in the 1990s, the USAF has frequently used these bombers for strategic signalling to America’s adversaries, particularly Russia.
The flyover suggests that Trump was sending a message of “air superiority” to Putin as tensions between the two sides mount.
The USAF and the country’s political leadership have repeatedly noted that the bomber could be launched to conduct offensive missions anywhere in the world.
The B-2’s low-observable design, with its flying-wing shape and radar-absorbent materials, minimizes its radar cross-section, making it nearly undetectable by most air defense systems.
This stealth capability allows it to penetrate heavily defended airspace, a feature still unmatched by many modern aircraft flying globally. Nonetheless, it may be worth underlining that there are only 19 B-2 bombers in the USAF, which means the two bombers that made the flight to Elmendorf account for about 10% of the fleet.
The presence of F-35 is also unmissable. While Russia has developed its own stealth fighter—the Sukhoi Su-57—it is considered to be no match for the American F-35. Western officials and experts have frequently noted that the Russian aircraft has inferior stealth.
The F-35’s presence in the flyover, along with the B-2, emphasized that its stealth and advanced avionics of the F-35 make it a fitting complement to the B-2 bomber. In case of a potential conflict, the B-2 bomber would be aided by the advanced stealth of the F-35 in contested environments, with the latter operating as an escort or on a SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense) mission.
The F-35’s smaller size and agility would allow it to engage threats that the B-2 would likely try to avoid. Together, they would create a stealthy force package, with the B-2 delivering heavy payloads and the F-35 clearing paths, gathering intelligence, and enhancing mission survivability in combat.
Needless to say, the Israeli F-35I Adir has been used extensively in combat, with a high degree of success. Thus, their presence in the flyover is unlikely to be a happy coincidence.
The photos emerging from the summit also interestingly showed Putin’s Russian-made Aurus limousine waiting right next to US F-22 jets at the Alaskan base. The Raptors represent a capability in the US arsenal that is currently unmatched by any American adversary, including Russia.
The Raptor is a premier air superiority fighter with unmatched maneuverability and stealth, and Russia does not have a comparable capability. With its advanced stealth, supercruise, and thrust vectoring, the Raptor is designed for air superiority and can operate in contested environments where radar and missile threats are prevalent.
In a hypothetical combat scenario, the F-22 can escort the B-2, neutralizing enemy fighters and air defenses that could threaten the bomber’s mission.
The Summit Of The Ages
President Vladimir Putin visited Alaska for a summit with US President Donald Trump, who has made no bones about his intention to immediately end the Ukraine War. Besides the symbolism of showing force to Russia and making Putin walk between Raptors, there is not much that came out of this high-stakes meeting.
He told the international media that while “great progress” was made during the meeting, “we didn’t get there” in terms of reaching an agreement.
After returning to Washington, Trump declared that the day in Alaska had been “a great and very successful day.” The President added that he and the presidents of Russia and Ukraine have decided that a peace deal is better than a ceasefire in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
He wrote on Truth Social that ceasefires “oftentimes do not hold up.” Thus, indicating that a ceasefire is not even in sight.
The summit has been seen by some experts as a clear victory for Russia and its President, who had been shunned by the West after its invasion of Ukraine. Heavily sanctioned and regularly criticised for his war, the Russian President received a warm welcome from Donald Trump, almost like a friend.
Some even compared the warmth shared between the two leaders to the humiliating treatment given to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy when he visited the Oval Office earlier this year.
Instead of holding a press conference, Putin and Trump made comments and refused to answer any questions from reporters. On his part, Putin began with a brief overview of Alaska’s history as a Russian territory before praising the “constructive atmosphere of mutual respect” of the “neighbourly” chat.
Intriguingly, this summit and the bonhomie on display came days after the US President lambasted Putin for not ending the war and threatened severe consequences if the Russian Pariah did not cease the hostilities and agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine.
The US President earlier announced he had “ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions” in response to inflammatory statements allegedly leading to nuclear war made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
For now, not much has come out of this high-stakes meeting, except for the fact that Putin seems to have been taken back after three years of being an outcast, and the US has sent a message of force whilst showing optimism that he is already anticipating a meeting with Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and possibly European leaders.
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