Alaska ready for the summit: Why Putin's meeting with Trump could be historic for Russia
Photo: Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin will be the first Russian leader to visit Alaska to meet with US President Donald Trump, according to governor Mike Dunleavy and TASS.
According to information from the US State Department's database, Vladimir Putin's visit will take place on August 15 as part of a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Dunleavy said that Alaska is one of the most important strategic places in the world, located at the crossroads of North America and Asia, with access to the Arctic in the north and the Pacific Ocean in the south.
"What happens in the Arctic and the Pacific impacts Alaska before the rest of the country. It’s fitting that discussions of global importance take place here," Dunleavy emphasized.
He added that Alaska has historically been a "bridge between nations" and remains a gateway for diplomacy, commerce and security.
"The world will be watching, and Alaska stands ready to host this historic meeting," the governor said.
Why was this region chosen for the Trump-Putin talks
The reasons why Alaska was chosen as the meeting place for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have not been officially announced. This region holds deep historical significance for both Russia and the United States.
Alaska was once part of the Russian Empire. The main interest of the Russians in this remote region was the hunting of fur seals and otters.
In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million in gold, one of the most profitable deals in US history. The transfer of the territory took place on October 18: the Russian flag was removed, and the American flag was raised over the colony's capital.
Initially, the deal was perceived with distrust in the United States, calling Alaska Seward's Wilderness after Secretary of State William Seward, who initiated the purchase. However, later the discovery of gold, oil, and other resources made Alaska a strategically and economically important territory.
Peace talks
On August 6, Donald Trump's adviser, Witkoff, visited Moscow to hold talks with Vladimir Putin. The main topic of the meeting was to discuss ways to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
Afterward, Donald Trump informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about Witkoff's meeting, who expressed hope that Russia was now more inclined to a truce.
According to Bloomberg, American and Russian officials are working on a possible peace plan that would freeze hostilities.
Trump also does not rule out an agreement that provides for the return of part of the occupied territories to Ukraine and a mutual exchange of land between the parties to the conflict.
