&w=3840&q=100)
Putin gifts American man motorcycle during Alaska Summit. Here's why
The motorcycle, a Ural, was given to Mark Warren by Andrei Ledenev, a staff member of the Russian embassy. Image: X
A man from Alaska's Anchorage region has received a new motorcycle from Russian officials, who said it was a 'personal gift' from Vladimir Putin.
The event took place against the backdrop of last week's summit in Alaska between the Russian President and US President Donald Trump.
ALSO READ | Why Putin's bodyguards carried 'poop suitcase' to Alaska summit with Trump
The motorcycle, a Ural, was given to Mark Warren by Andrei Ledenev, a staff member of the Russian embassy.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
But who is Mark Warren? And what made Putin give him this gift?
Find out here:
Who is Mark Warren?
Mark Warren is a retired fire inspector who was handed the keys to a new Ural motorcycle by a staff member of the Russian embassy in the United States.
'I have to say that this is a personal gift from the President of the Russian Federation,' embassy official Andrei Ledenev told Warren.
Warren, white-haired and wearing glasses, was seen climbing onto the motorcycle with Ledenev sitting behind him and another man in the sidecar as they set off for a short ride.
🇷🇺🏍️ An unexpected twist in Anchorage: Mark Warren, longed for spare parts for his Russian 'Ural' bike but couldn't get them due to sanctions, just received a brand-new motorcycle — from Vladimir Putin via Russian diplomats
Sanctions just spark a presidential gift! pic.twitter.com/YIJzTVCFsm — RT (@RT_com) August 18, 2025
'It's night and day,' Warren said. 'I like my old one, but this one is obviously much better.'
'I'm speechless, it's amazing. Thank you very much.'
Why did Putin gift Warren a bike?
The surprise gift came after an encounter between Warren and Russian state television Channel 1 reporters in Anchorage before the summit.
He soon appeared in their news report on the effects of sanctions placed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, telling them that maintaining his bike had become costly and spare parts were increasingly difficult to find.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Warren told journalist Valentin Bogdanov that he had trouble getting replacements, including a new starter, as the plant was 'located in Ukraine.'
The Ural company was first set up in Soviet Russia and is now based in Washington state.
On its website, Ural states that it condemned Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and that 'production ground to a halt due to inability to import components and export bikes out of Russia caused by international sanctions laid on the country.'
How did the bike reach Warren?
Warren said he was first told about it during a phone call from one of the journalists who had interviewed him.
The reporter explained that the video had gone viral in Russia and even reached President Vladimir Putin, who decided to give him a new Ural motorcycle.
Not long after, Warren got another call, this time from someone in the Russian government.
'We're gonna get you a bike,' he recalled being told, speaking to Anchorage Daily News. His response at the time was, 'OK, that's fine.'
On Friday night, once the Trump-Putin summit had ended and both leaders had left, Warren received yet another call. This time, a Russian official told him, 'We have your bike. It's on the base, but we're trying to figure out how to get it to you.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Warren later learned that the motorcycle had been flown in from Russia on the same jet as Putin.
The next day, a group of Russian officials and a cameraman met him in a car park. A large sheet covered something that clearly looked like a bike.
Alaska resident Mark Warren rides his new Ural motorcycle. Image: Russia-1/Reuters
'Looks like a bike,' Warren said cautiously as he walked up, in a moment captured on Russian state TV.
With a quick pull, the officials revealed a khaki green Ural motorcycle.
'This is a personal gift from the president of the Russian Federation,' one of the men told him.
Warren later found out that the motorcycle had been built on August 12, suggesting it was arranged quickly. Footage of the handover has been shown on Russian television and reported by news agencies.
According to The Moscow Times, Russian media presented the gift as a sign of goodwill from Moscow.
A document Warren shared with Alaska's News Source from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the United States stated: 'The Embassy of the Russian Federation in the United States of America on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir V. Putin, transfers as an act of giving the following property: Motorcycle 'Gear-Up,'….'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
23 minutes ago
- The Hindu
In Moscow, Jaishankar raises challenge posed by tariff to India-Russia trade, calls for early conclusion of India-Eurasian Economic Union FTA
In the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump's imposition of penalty tariff on India, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday (August 20, 2025) in Moscow raised the challenge posed by 'tariff and non-tariff trade barriers' before Russia-India trade and called for 'early conclusion' of a Free Trade Agreement among India and the countries of the Eurasian region. Mr. Jaishankar made the remarks during the 26th Session of the India-Russia Inter-Government Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) where the Russian side was being led by First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Denis Manturov. Delivering his opening remarks Mr. Jaishankar said, 'tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, removing bottlenecks in logistics, promoting connectivity through the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Northern Sea Route and the Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor, effecting payment mechanisms smoothly' are the main issues before the IRIGC-TEC. He further said that Wednesday's meeting in Moscow also finalized the terms of reference of the India-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement of which Russia has been a leading proponent as it aims at removing obstacles for overland trade among Russia, China, India and the Central Asian countries. '..we are all acutely aware that we are meeting in the backdrop of a complex geopolitical situation. Our leaders remain closely and regularly engaged,' said Mr Jaishankar indirectly referring to the trade-related anxieties in India-U.S. relation. He also raised the issue of trade imbalance in India-Russia trade that has expanded in the past few years as India's trade with Russia grew from $13 billion in 2021 to $68 billion in 2024-'25. India-Russia trade has risen sharply after Russia was hit with Western sanctions following the crisis in Ukraine. Bulk of this trade is in hydrocarbon that Russia supplies to India. As a result the earlier trade imbalance of $ 6.6 billion has risen to $58.9 billion. 'So, we need to address that urgently,' said Mr Jaishankar in his remarks.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Jaishankar In Moscow To Boost Ties Amid Trump Tariffs, Flags India-Russia Trade Deficit
Last Updated: India-Russia trade reached $68 billion in 2024-25, but a major imbalance emerged. S Jaishankar stressed addressing this at the 26th IRIGC-TEC session in Moscow. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that India-Russia bilateral trade has grown rapidly over the last four years, but a major trade imbalance has accompanied this growth, in his opening remarks at the 26th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) in Moscow. 'Over the last four years, Excellency, our bilateral trade in goods has increased, as you have noted, more than five-fold from USD 13 billion in 2021 to USD 68 billion in 2024-25 and it continues to grow," Jaishankar said. 'However, a major trade imbalance has accompanied the growth; it has increased from USD 6.6 billion to USD 58.9 billion which is about nine times. So we need to address that urgently." He outlined the key agenda for the session, saying, 'Addressing tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, removing bottlenecks in logistics, promoting connectivity through the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Northern Sea Route and the Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor, effecting payment mechanisms smoothly, timely finalization and execution of the Programme of Economic Cooperation till 2030, the early conclusion of the India-Eurasian Economic Union FTA, whose terms of reference were finalised today, and regular interaction between the businesses of the two countries – these are among the key elements." Jaishankar also stressed the continuing commitment of both nations' leaders, noting, 'Our leaders remain closely and regularly engaged. They provide us wise and practical guidance to our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. They had two 'in person' meetings last year and are personally committed to further advancing our strategic partnership." Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Moscow for the 22nd Annual India-Russia Summit in July. This was his first visit to Russia in five years. He and President Putin met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia in October. Russian President Putin is expected to visit India later this year. The remarks come amid a complex geopolitical backdrop, with the current US administration under Donald Trump imposing tariffs on Indian goods in response to India's ongoing purchase of Russian crude oil. What Is IRIGC-TEC IRIGC-TEC stands for the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation. This bilateral forum facilitates high-level dialogue between the governments of India and Russia, aiming to enhance cooperation across various sectors, including trade, energy, defense and cultural exchange. Why The Imbalance The disparity in trade between India and Russia has been a topic of concern. In the fiscal year 2024–25, bilateral trade reached a record high of $68.7 billion. However, India's exports to Russia were significantly lower, amounting to only $4.88 billion, resulting in a trade imbalance of approximately $60 billion. This imbalance is primarily due to India's substantial imports of Russian crude oil, which now constitute about 35% of India's total oil imports. To address this imbalance, both nations are exploring measures to boost Indian exports and diversify trade. These include enhancing connectivity through initiatives like the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor, improving payment mechanisms and facilitating greater interaction between businesses. tags : S Jaishankar Vladimir Putin view comments Location : Moscow, Russia First Published: August 20, 2025, 22:23 IST News world Jaishankar In Moscow To Boost Ties Amid Trump Tariffs, Flags India-Russia Trade Deficit Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Need to work on reducing trade imbalance between Russia, India urgently: EAM Jaishankar addresses IRIGC-TEC session
Synopsis External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted the significant increase in India-Russia bilateral trade, which surged from USD 13 billion in 2021 to USD 68 billion in 2024-25. However, he emphasized the urgent need to address the growing trade imbalance, which has widened from USD 6.6 billion to USD 58. Need to work on reducing trade imbalance between Russia, India: Jaishankar amid US Tariff row S. Jaishankar, Union Minister of External Affairs, while giving his opening remarks at the 26th Session of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission, said that the two nations need to work on reducing trade imbalance urgently. "Over the last four years, our bilateral trade in goods has increased, as you have noted, more than five-fold from USD 13 billion in 2021 to USD 68 billion in 2024-25 and it continues to grow. However, a major trade imbalance has accompanied the growth; it has increased from USD 6.6 billion to USD 58.9 billion which is about nine times. So we need to address that urgently," said the External Affairs development comes amid strain in India's ties with the US over New Delhi's procurement of crude oil from between Washington and New Delhi faced fresh strain on the trade front, as government sources confirmed that the US team would not travel to India for the sixth round of bilateral trade negotiations scheduled for August setback comes just days after Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, raising the total levy to 50 per cent, along with an unspecified penalty for India's continued oil imports from Russia. Earlier on August 13, the Foreign Ministry of Russia had said that EAM Jaishankar and Russian FM Sergey Lavrov's meeting would discuss key issues on the bilateral agenda, as well as key aspects of cooperation within international Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shared his insights about the recent meeting in Alaska with US President Donald Trump over the Ukraine conflict. PM Modi said India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard. He thanked the Russian President for the phone call and for sharing his perspective on the Alaska meeting.
