A CNN anchor called out President Donald Trump on Friday afternoon as he rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the start of a high-stakes summit in Alaska.
Trump and Putin were meeting on Friday to discuss ending the ongoing invasion in Ukraine. The discussions were taking place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
The two deplaned Friday afternoon and shook hands on a red carpet before departing in The Beast.
The stunning image caught the attentin of CNN anchor Abby Phillip.
"Just a note on the red carpet of it all. I mean, I think it's a visual that, you know, our reporters in the region say is just rubbing Ukraine the wrong way," she said. "To roll out the red carpet for a man who is wanted for war crimes against Ukraine in what might be a negotiation is something that is not going to be received well there."
She added that Trump does these sorts of things partly to make Putin feel welcomed and make him feel like they're "buddies again."
"Whether or not he uses that to his strategic advantage, we will find out. But it's one that, you know, if Ukraine is our ally in this conflict, is rubbing our ally the wrong way," she warned.
Fellow anchor John King said Putin is "winning the early moments."
"He's getting a picture—greeted by the president of the United States on U.S. soil after more than three years of being a pariah in the world for invading a democracy in Europe," said King. "The question is, it'll be judged by substance? If they get substance, if there's legitimate progress toward a ceasefire or some progress toward ending the war in Ukraine that Ukraine can accept, then that's how the summit will be judged."
He concluded, "These pictures are being shown all across Russia right now, all across Europe right now, and a leader who has been a pariah has just been greeted on U.S. soil by the American president. Again, if Trump can get for what he's giving, we'll see at the end. But so far, he's giving well."
Watch the clip below or at this link.