Vladimir Putin winced as he realised, at least momentarily, that he was not in control.

No number of Russian agents armed with bulletproof suitcases could shield him from being pelted by the sorts of questions he had managed to avoid since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

Sitting next to Donald Trump in front of a blue wall emblazoned with “pursuing peace” ahead of their high-level talks in Alaska , the Russian despot was in unfamiliar territory.

As one reporter shouted: “Mr Putin, will you break your ceasefire?” it was clear he was not in a cocoon of Kremlin mouthpiece Russian media, but surrounded by US journalists determined to hold him to account.

His wry smile evaporated into one of alarm. He looked pleadingly to the left and furrowed his brow.

“Will you commit to not killin

See Full Page