Russian President Putin Gifts $22,000 Motorcycle to Alaska Retiree After Viral Interview

During Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2025 visit to Alaska for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Putin gifted a brand-new Ural Gear Up motorcycle to Mark Warren, a retired Anchorage fire inspector, after a Russian TV interview with Warren about difficulties repairing his Soviet-era Ural bike went viral in Russia. Warren had explained that spare parts were costly and hard to obtain, not due to sanctions, but because of limited local mechanics and complex supply chains, which caught Putin's attention. The gift was arranged through the Russian Embassy and handed over shortly after the summit, surprising Warren, who initially thought the offer was a scam. The Ural motorcycle brand, originally founded in Siberia during the Soviet era and now operating in Kazakhstan, has historic military roots and is rare in Alaska. Russian media and officials used the episode to highlight Soviet-era nostalgia, as seen also in Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's USSR-themed sweatshirt worn during the summit. The Russian delegation requested only photos and interviews in exchange for the gift, symbolizing a unique cultural and diplomatic gesture amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.