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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Alaskan man gifted new motorcycle by Putin during Trump summit
(Reuters) -A local man in Anchorage was given a new motorcycle by Russian President Vladimir Putin during last week's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Alaskan city, according to a report published by Russian state television. An employee of the Russian embassy in the United States handed the man, Mark Warren, the keys to his new Ural motorcycle in the parking lot of the Anchorage hotel where the Russian delegation was staying. "I have to say that this is a personal gift from the President of the Russian Federation," Andrei Ledenev, the embassy employee, told Warren. The white-haired, bespectacled Warren, who Reuters was unable to contact for comment, was shown hopping aboard his new bike, Ledenev behind him and another man in the sidecar, to take it for a spin. "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." The unexpected gift by the Russian leader came after reporters with Russian state television Channel 1 met Warren by chance on the streets of Anchorage ahead of the summit. The reporters stopped to admire Warren's bike, which is manufactured by Ural, whose original factory was founded in 1941 in what was then Soviet Russia. Warren told a reporter, Valentin Bogdanov, that he struggled to obtain spare parts for the bike, including a new starter, because the manufacturing plant is "located in Ukraine." "So for you, if they resolve this conflict here in Alaska, I mean Putin and Trump, it will be good?" Bogdanov asks Warren. "Yes, it will be good," the Alaskan replies. Ural, which is headquartered in Washington State, says that all of its motorcycles are assembled in Kazakhstan. The company pulled all its production out of Russia after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Ural did not immediately reply to a request for comment outside working hours in the U.S.
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First Post
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- First Post
Putin gifts American man motorcycle during Alaska Summit. Here's why
Mark Warren of Alaska's Anchorage region in the United States was stunned when Russian officials contacted him and handed over a new Ural motorcycle, describing it as a 'personal gift' from Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was told the bike had been flown in from Russia on the same jet as Putin 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! — 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
Sydney Morning Herald
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Sydney Morning Herald
Mark whinged about the war, so Putin gifted him a new motorbike
Tbilisi, Georgia: A local man in Anchorage was given a new motorcycle by Russian President Vladimir Putin during last week's summit with US President Donald Trump in the Alaskan city, according to Russian state television. An employee of the Russian embassy in the United States handed the man, Mark Warren, the keys to his new Ural motorcycle in the parking lot of the Anchorage hotel where the Russian delegation was staying. 'I have to say that this is a personal gift from the president of the Russian Federation,' Andrei Ledenev, the embassy employee, told Warren. The white-haired, bespectacled Warren, who Reuters was unable to contact for comment, was shown hopping aboard his new bike, Ledenev behind him and another man in the sidecar, to take it for a spin. 'It's night and day,' Warren said on Russian state television Channel 1. 'I like my old one, but this one is obviously much better.' 'I'm speechless, it's amazing. Thank you very much.' The unexpected gift from the Russian leader came after reporters with Channel 1 met Warren by chance on the streets of Anchorage ahead of the summit. The reporters stopped to admire Warren's bike, which is manufactured by Ural, whose original factory was founded in 1941 in what was then Soviet Russia.
The Age
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Age
Mark whinged about the war, so Putin gifted him a new motorbike
Tbilisi, Georgia: A local man in Anchorage was given a new motorcycle by Russian President Vladimir Putin during last week's summit with US President Donald Trump in the Alaskan city, according to Russian state television. An employee of the Russian embassy in the United States handed the man, Mark Warren, the keys to his new Ural motorcycle in the parking lot of the Anchorage hotel where the Russian delegation was staying. 'I have to say that this is a personal gift from the president of the Russian Federation,' Andrei Ledenev, the embassy employee, told Warren. The white-haired, bespectacled Warren, who Reuters was unable to contact for comment, was shown hopping aboard his new bike, Ledenev behind him and another man in the sidecar, to take it for a spin. 'It's night and day,' Warren said on Russian state television Channel 1. 'I like my old one, but this one is obviously much better.' 'I'm speechless, it's amazing. Thank you very much.' The unexpected gift from the Russian leader came after reporters with Channel 1 met Warren by chance on the streets of Anchorage ahead of the summit. The reporters stopped to admire Warren's bike, which is manufactured by Ural, whose original factory was founded in 1941 in what was then Soviet Russia.
NDTV
a day ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
"I'm Speechless": Putin Gifts Bike To Alaskan Man During Summit With Trump
A local man in Anchorage was given a new motorcycle by Russian President Vladimir Putin during last week's summit with US President Donald Trump in the Alaskan city, according to a report published by Russian state television. An employee of the Russian embassy in the United States handed the man, Mark Warren, the keys to his new Ural motorcycle in the parking lot of the Anchorage hotel where the Russian delegation was staying. "I have to say that this is a personal gift from the President of the Russian Federation," Andrei Ledenev, the embassy employee, told Warren. The white-haired, bespectacled Warren, who Reuters was unable to contact for comment, was shown hopping aboard his new bike, Ledenev behind him and another man in the sidecar, to take it for a spin. "It's night and day," Warren said. "I like my old one, but this one is much better." "I'm speechless, it's amazing. Thank you very much." The unexpected gift from the Russian leader came after reporters with Russian state television Channel 1 met Warren by chance on the streets of Anchorage ahead of the summit. The reporters stopped to admire Warren's bike, which is manufactured by Ural, whose original factory was founded in 1941 in what was then Soviet Russia. Warren told a reporter, Valentin Bogdanov, that he struggled to obtain spare parts for the bike, including a new starter, because the manufacturing plant is "located in Ukraine." "So, for you, if they resolve this conflict here in Alaska, I mean, Putin and Trump, it will be good?" Bogdanov asks Warren. "Yes, it will be good," the Alaskan replies. Ural, which is headquartered in Washington State, says that all of its motorcycles are assembled in Kazakhstan. The company pulled all its production out of Russia after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Ural did not immediately reply to a request for comment outside working hours in the US.
