Trump was recently diagnosed with CVI, sparking major health concerns from Americans.

19:41 ET, 16 Aug 2025Updated 19:57 ET, 16 Aug 2025

President Donald Trump had a shocking health concern on display during his high-profile meeting(Image: AP)

President Donald Trump's cankles were on full display during his high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

After rolling out the red carpet for Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, the leaders sat down for a face-to-face meeting in the hopes of reaching a potential peace deal with Ukraine.

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The men didn't appear to agree on a deal, but Trump said they had an "extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," at a press conference after the private meeting.

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However, photos taken at the summit have caught people's attention, especially Trump's ankles looking swollen, weeks after the White House shared he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.

The veins of a person with CVI have trouble returning blood to the heart. It's common in people over the age of 70. The condition isn't life-threatening; however, doctors say it gets riskier with age and can be exacerbated with a poor diet.

In the days before the summit, Trump's health was brought into question as reporters asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt for an update earlier this week.

Trump's ankles appeared swollen once again(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

"Look, you see the president every day," she told the media on Tuesday. "He's moving, he's working, he’s continuing; there have been no adjustments made to his lifestyle."

But when asked if Trump’s White House physician Sean Barbabella could answer questions about the president's health, Leavitt said she didn't "want to make that commitment on behalf of the physician."

"It’s certainly something we can look into and explore out of the effort of transparency, because unlike the previous White House, there is nothing to hide," said Leavitt.

Leaders' Summit

Since entering the White House in January, Trump has promised to end the war in Ukraine, but his patience with Putin has been wearing thin as the Russian leader has refused any meaningful peace talks.

"We get a lot of bull---- thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump said in June. "He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."

Despite these concerns, Trump and Putin met for three hours at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, each flanked by two trusted officials. Trump had Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on his side while Putin was joined by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov.

The leaders met for three hours but still couldn't secure a deal(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

"It is known that there have been no summits between Russia and the US for four years, and that’s a long time," Putin told reporters after the meeting. "This time was very hard for bilateral relations.

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"And let’s be frank, they have fallen to the lowest point since the Cold War. I think that’s not benefiting our countries and the world as a whole. A personal meeting between the heads of state has been long overdue."

Trump shared that he and Putin "made some headway" and "great progress," but added that "there's no deal until there's a deal."

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