Claim that Putin at the Alaska Summit Was a Body Double is Unfounded

Following the August 15, 2025 summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, a wave of conspiracy theories spread online. Posts and videos claimed that the Putin who appeared at the meeting was not the real Russian leader but a body double, pointing to perceived differences in facial structure, smiling behavior, and walking style. While such rumors have circulated for years about Putin, there is no credible evidence that a body double attended the Alaska summit

Social Media Posts

Social media users have recently circulated claims that the person who met with Trump in Alaska was not actually Putin but an impostor.

Source | Archive

Source | Archive

Fact Check

Official Summit Attendance Was Widely Documented

The Trump–Putin summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was an official diplomatic meeting with high security and media presence. Major news outlets including CNN, Reuters, CBS News, and Al Jazeera all confirmed Putin’s personal attendance alongside Russian officials. With numerous cameras capturing the face-to-face negotiations and the widely shared handshake between Trump and Putin, this theory falls apart under scrutiny given the high-security nature of the event and extensive media coverage.

The “Body Double” Theory Is a Recycled Conspiracy

The idea that Putin uses body doubles isn’t new. This theory has appeared many times over the years, especially during important international meetings. People who spread these claims typically point to small differences in how Putin looks or moves. After the Alaska summit, social media users claimed to spot several unusual features: a fuller face, more smiling than usual, and the absence of Putin’s distinctive walking style. However, experts in facial recognition explain that these apparent differences are usually caused by changing lighting, different camera angles, and the specific context of the event, not because someone else is impersonating Putin (Source)

Independent Comparisons Contradict the Claim

Analyses of photographs and videos from the summit show consistent features matching Putin’s known appearance, including facial proportions, voice, and gestures. Previous independent studies of Putin’s images have shown a very high similarity across public appearances, undermining the notion of multiple look-alikes being used regularly. No credible biometrics, photographic evidence, or intelligence reporting has ever confirmed the use of body doubles in official events of this scale

In 2024, Meduza, an independent Russian-Latvian media outlet, used Amazon Rekognition facial-matching software to analyze Putin’s appearances. Their tests found that supposed “doubles” showed 99.6–99.9% similarity, strong evidence that the same person was simply photographed in different settings. (Source)

Russian Government Response

The Kremlin has officially addressed claims about Putin’s alleged doubles, stating they are unfounded rumors. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has specifically dismissed such theories as “a lie.” He stated: “You have probably heard that [Putin] has very many doubles who work instead of him while he sits in a bunker, yet another lie. You see yourselves what our president is like. He always was, and is now, mega-active. Those who work next to him can hardly keep up with him. His energy can only be envied. His health can, God willing, only be wished for. Of course, he doesn’t sit in any bunkers. This is also a lie.” (Source)

Conclusion

The claim that Putin was substituted by a body double at the Alaska summit is unfounded. Based on extensive documentation, expert analysis, and official statements, there is no credible evidence supporting this conspiracy theory.