Russian Official's Sweatshirt Sends a Message

When Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov takes part in Friday's summit between the US and Russia, he will presumably be dressed in a suit and tie. But when he arrived in Alaska on Friday morning, the 75-year-old's choice of attire was a lot more interesting: As this video shows, he wore a sweatshirt emblazoned with CCCP, or USSR in Russian.

• The Guardian sees it as "a not-so-subtle act of trolling," one that harkens back to the era when Ukraine was a Soviet Republic. Russian bloggers quickly identified the shirt as one sold by a brand that has a niche with "Soviet heritage" clothing.

• Politico notes that Vladimir Putin has called the breakup of the USSR the "greatest political catastrophe" of the 20th century, the outlet adding that "Moscow's longing for the past has also been frequently linked to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022."
• The Independent, meanwhile, views the sweatshirt as a "tongue in cheek" response to critics who accuse Putin of attempting to rebuild the Russia of old.