Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Friday when Air Force One lands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
Dunleavy is expected to join in private discussions before Trump’s schedule with Russian President Vladimir Putin gets underway.
The Trump-Putin summit, drawing worldwide attention, comes amid ongoing debates over the war in Ukraine and the US role.
The White House has not released details of Trump’s full itinerary, but temporary flight restrictions have been announced by the Federal Aviation Administration during the visit. Local law enforcement and federal agencies have been coordinating security efforts for the past few days, as media and protesters are expected to converge on the city.
Trump’s choice of Anchorage as the meeting site is viewed by some analysts as symbolic, due to Alaska’s strategic location next to Russia’s far east. The visit also comes just months after Trump secured re-election with a 54.5% majority in Alaska, reinforcing his strong political foothold in the state.
While specifics of the Dunleavy-Trump meeting remain undisclosed, the governor has previously expressed strong support for the president’s economic and resource development policies, particularly in energy and natural resource sectors critical to Alaska’s economy.