Bloomberg: Preparing for Trump-Putin meeting was an "all-out sprint" for the US Secret Service
Anchorage, Alaska (Photo: wikipedia.org)

Preparing for the meeting of the US President Donald Trump with the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska turned into an "all-out sprint" compressed into one week. Bloomberg reports reported four interlocutors familiar with planning.

According to the newspaper, when Trump announced the meeting in Alaska a week ago, the only agent assigned to the Secret Service post at the "Last Frontier" began preparing to receive hundreds of reinforcements in the coming days.

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"The agency's mission was extremely challenging: protecting both the American and Russian presidents in the same place, each surrounded by heavily armed guards," Bloomberg writes.

The State Department's protocol largely sets the agenda for the summit. According to officials, during a bilateral meeting, the rules of reciprocity mean that every courtesy shown to one leader should be reciprocated to the other.

The Russian Security Service will control Putin's direct movements, while the Secret Service will provide the external environment.

One of the interlocutors said that neither side would open the other's doors or ride in their vehicles.

"If 10 American agents are stationed outside the negotiation room, 10 Russian agents will be on the other side. Everything will be matched: person for person, weapon for weapon," said one of the interlocutors.

The publication also writes that this symmetry will extend to the entire process – from the arrival motorcade to the placement of interpreters in the room. Both sides will bring their own language teams. Even the number and size of waiting rooms – safe waiting areas for each leader – are being discussed.

According to the interlocutors, the Secret Service is still waiting for Russia's official approval of the full security plan.

  • Trump to meet with Putin in Alaska august 15. The venue of the summit is military base in Anchorage. The meeting is scheduled for at 22:00 kyiv time.
  • To Alaska have already arrived russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Ambassador to the United States Alexander Darchiev, and Russian propagandists.
  • Before the summit in Anchorage, Alaska a rally is held in support of Ukraine.