WASHINGTON — An eight-page printout containing non-public information such as President Trump’s gift for Vladimir Putin and their anticipated lunch menu was allegedly left at an Anchorage hotel printer hours before the high-profile Ukraine peace summit.
The embarrassing snafu revealed little if any sensitive security information — as most scheduled items on the agenda for the summit at the military’s Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson were already public information — but went viral after being reported by NPR.
The formerly publicly funded news outlet reported that three guests at the four-star Hotel Captain Cook found the papers in a public printer.
A US official mistakenly left planning documents for Friday’s Anchorage peace talks in a public printer.REUTERS
Two pages contained the menu for an ultimately aborted lunch, which was to include filet mignon with brandy peppercorn sauce and a salad with champagne vinaigrette, and a third included a seating chart with the two presidents centered around a boardroom-style table.
Two additional pages contained the names, photos and participants of an anticipated expanded meeting between Russian and US officials — with aides instructed that the Russian leader’s name is pronounced “POO-tihn.”
It also revealed that Trump intended to gift Putin an American bald eagle desk statue, and listed three phone numbers of advance staffers who helped set up the events.
The White House had already published most of the scheduled events listed in the document, although many ultimately didn’t happen or were abbreviated as Trump ditched his plan to seek an immediate cease-fire and instead returned to Washington optimistic about brokering a full peace deal.
The documents contained few bombshells because most of the planned events were already announced in the daily White House schedule.REUTERS
Russian and US leaders ultimately left early as Trump phoned Europe to discuss a possible full peace deal rather than a cease-fire.POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Two pages that were released featured a lunch menu.NPR
A seating chart with the two presidents centered around a boardroom-style table was also leaked.NPR