Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted a brand new Ural motorcycle to an Alaskan man during his trip to the United States for last week’s summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
State broadcaster Rossia 1 featured Anchorage resident Mark Warren last Monday in a news segment on how Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have affected ordinary Americans.
Warren, who owns a Soviet-era Ural, said repairs to his motorcycle had become increasingly costly and parts nearly impossible to find because of sanctions.
On Sunday, the broadcaster reported that Putin had sent Warren a new Ural sidecar motorcycle through Russian diplomats.
“This is a personal gift from the Russian president,” said Andrei Ledenev, counselor at the Russian Embassy in Washington, as he handed over the keys to a surprised Warren in front of state TV cameras.
Russian media framed the gift as a symbol of Moscow’s goodwill. Warren described the new Ural as “night and day” compared with his old bike, taking it for a test ride with Ledenev behind him and another diplomat in the sidecar.
“Here’s a new ride on the new Ural. A Russian vehicle in Russian America under the shadow of a Russian birch tree,” a Rossia 1 correspondent said in the television report, referring to Alaska’s history as part of the Russian Empire.
Ural motorcycles are now manufactured in Petropavl, Kazakhstan, while the company’s corporate headquarters are located in Redmond, Washington. In March 2022, the company publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called for an immediate end to the conflict.
The Moscow Times has contacted the company for comment.
During his visit to Alaska on Friday, Putin also presented two Russian Orthodox icons to Archbishop Alexy of Sitka and Alaska, who gave the Kremlin leader an icon of Saint Herman of Alaska in return.
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