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Who's who: The aides and power brokers to face off in Alaska

The Guardian

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August 16, 2025

As Vladimir Putin landed in Alaska yesterday for his high-stakes meeting with Donald Trump, he was flanked by some of the most powerful figures in the Kremlin's inner circle – a team of seasoned political operators, financial strategists, and diplomatic enforcers who have helped shape Russia's foreign and economic policy for more than two decades, including old guard loyalists and younger financial power brokers.

- Pjotr Sauer

Trump was also accompanied by a cadre of his most trusted advisers, among them a property mogul, a former hedge fund billionaire, and the country's top diplomat.

Despite earlier media reports, Trump's vice-president, JD Vance, and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, were not listed in the official delegation.

Russian delegation Sergei Lavrov Foreign minister The 75-year-old has been in post since 2004, making him one of the longest-tenured senior diplomats in the world. Known for his gravel-voiced delivery and combative press conferences, Lavrov has been central to crafting and defending Moscow's foreign policy from the Iraq war to the annexation of Crimea and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A career diplomat who joined the Soviet foreign service in 1972, he spent a decade as Russia's ambassador to the UN.

Yuri Ushakov Foreign policy adviser Ushakov, 78, is a veteran presidential aide and one of Putin's most trusted foreign policy advisers.

A career diplomat with a long focus on Washington, he served as Russia's ambassador to the US from 1998 to 2008.

Known for his calm demeanor and deep institutional memory, Ushakov has served as a behind-the-scenes strategist, frequently supplying the president's talking points to state media.

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