ALASKA: The red carpet was given a final clean before President Donald Trump stepped out of Air Force One at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine.
Despite being arranged in just a few days, Friday's high-stakes meeting is unfolding with the kind of strict protocol usually seen at long-planned summits.
Everything from the timing of the arrivals to the exact parking spots of the planes has been carefully negotiated.
Neither leader wants to appear to be waiting for the other. While Trump arrived first, he remained on board until Putin was ready to greet him.
The red carpet, a traditional sign of respect, is also framed by a display of US military power four F-22 Raptor fighter jets lined up alongside it.
At events like this, no image or moment is left to chance.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov will accompany President Putin for his landmark talks with US President Trump.
"The Russian officials accompanying President Vladimir Putin in the talks with the US delegation will be foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, " Russia state media report said, quoting the Kremlin.
This comes after Washington announced at the last minute that the leaders would not be meeting alone.
Wearing his signature red tie, Trump walked down the red carpet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and waited for Putin's arrival.
Both leaders, dressed in dark suits, shook hands firmly before walking side by side down the carpet, greeted by cheers from people gathered on the tarmac.