Putin expected in Alaska for summit with Trump amid tensions and mistrust

On 15 August, the meeting in the American Arctic state, between shared history and shadows over the war in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin is expected in Alaska on Friday 15 August for a summit with Donald Trump. The choice of the American Arctic state, the closest to Russia and once the front line of the Cold War, has provoked mixed reactions. In the years following the collapse of the USSR, Alaska had cultivated and even celebrated its historical ties with Moscow, but Putin’s rise to power and, above all, the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have cooled relations.

Historical ties in crisis
The Anchorage City Council has suspended its twinning with Magadan, while the capital Juneau has maintained its twinning with Vladivostok. The state, colonised by the Russian Empire in the 18th century and sold to the US in 1867, is still home to Russian-speaking communities. “Russian culture and history are deeply rooted in Alaska, but the invasion of Ukraine has increased negative feelings towards Moscow,” explains Brandon Boylan, a professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Political reactions
Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy welcomed the meeting as ‘an opportunity for diplomacy and security,’ while moderate Senator Lisa Murkowski, while calling herself ‘deeply distrustful’ of Putin, hopes for progress toward a ‘fair’ peace in Ukraine. It is unclear why Trump chose Alaska, but its geographical proximity to Russia is an obvious factor.

Criticism and fears
Former ambassadors and analysts point out that Russian nationalists still claim Alaska. ‘Trump is hosting Putin in a former part of the Russian empire: it’s a symbolic victory for him,’ comments Michael McFaul, while John Bolton quips that ‘the only better place would have been Moscow.’ Julia Davis, an analyst for the Daily Beast, calls the invitation ‘nauseating,’ showing clips of Russian propagandists openly talking about re-annexation.

A complex history
Alaska, over 1.7 million square kilometres with just over 700,000 inhabitants, was purchased by the United States from Russia on 30 March 1867 for $7.2 million, equivalent to approximately $129-153.5 million today.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)