Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, on 15 August wearing a grey sweatshirt emblazoned with “CCCP,” the Cyrillic abbreviation for the Soviet Union, as he joined Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin for talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Images of the garment, reportedly retailing for roughly $20–$30, circulated widely and drew swift condemnation from U.S. lawmakers and commentators who viewed the apparel as a calculated nod to Moscow’s Soviet past on American soil. Lavrov dismissed questions about the symbolism, telling reporters outside the venue that he was making “no predictions” about the negotiations. “We have solid arguments, we have our own clear and comprehensible position,” he said. The meeting, which excludes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is intended to lay groundwork for a potential cease-fire and a future three-way summit. The sartorial choice underscored lingering tensions as Trump seeks to broker a deal with Putin more than three years into Russia’s invasion. While neither side detailed the agenda publicly, U.S. officials said the talks would encompass a halt to frontline fighting, security guarantees for Kyiv, and the phased withdrawal of Russian forces. Whether Lavrov’s throwback to Soviet iconography complicates those discussions remains to be seen.