President Donald Trump says he will be meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week. He made the announcement on TruthSocial, and it was shared on the social media site X. He said the meeting would be on Aug. 15.
This is a developing story and will be edited throughout the day as information comes in.
US Sen. Dan Sullivan said he talked with the White House earlier on Friday.
“Alaska has been hosting a number of cabinet officials this summer. In June, we hosted his energy team — Sec. Chris Wright, Sec. Doug Burgum and EPA’s Lee Zeldin, and I hosted the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff ‘Raisin’ Cain.’ This week, it was RFK Jr. and the Secretary of Homeland Security on Sunday, and the HUD secretary and Transportation secretary next week. Also the interim commandant of the Coast Guard. Now the president himself,” Sullivan said. “It’s a historic opportunity and it’s appropriate that this is in the most strategic place in the world.”
Congressman Nick Begich commented that “The pursuit of peace requires open dialogue. And it’s encouraging that the dialogue will be occurring at the highest levels here in Alaska, where Russia and America share a historic relationship and geographic proximity. My prayer is that the conversations are productive and result in meaningful progress toward reconciliation.”
History seems to be coming full circle: Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 because the Tsar Alexander II was financially broke due to the war in Crimea, modern day Ukraine. Russia saw Alaska as a financial burden and difficult and expensive to maintain and defend. Now, Trump is meeting with Putin in what is considered, as Sen. Sullivan pointed out, the most strategic location in the world, and they’re likely to be talking about how to resolve the war in Ukraine, which is straining Russia’s finances once again.
“I welcome the upcoming meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Russia’s President Putin being held here in the great state of Alaska. Alaska is the most strategic location in the world, sitting at the crossroads of North America and Asia, with the Arctic to our north and the Pacific to our south. With a mere two miles separating Russia from Alaska , no other place plays a more vital role in our national defense, energy security, and Arctic leadership. What happens in the Arctic and the Pacific impacts Alaska before the rest of the country,” said Gov. Mike Dunleavy. “It’s fitting that discussions of global importance take place here. For centuries, Alaska has been a bridge between nations, and today, we remain a gateway for diplomacy, commerce, and security in one of the most critical regions on earth. The world will be watching, and Alaska stands ready to host this historic meeting.”
Hours later, Sen. Lisa Murkowski wrote darkly of the upcoming meeting: “President Trump announced he will meet with President Putin in Alaska next Friday to continue negotiations to end Russia’s catastrophic war in Ukraine. This is another opportunity for the Arctic to serve as a venue that brings together world leaders to forge meaningful agreements. While I remain deeply wary of Putin and his regime, I hope these discussions lead to genuine progress and help end the war on equitable terms.”
There are going to be wags here who chime in with “funny” comments about President Trump ceding parts of Alaska back to the Russian Federation, yet there are actually disagreements between the United States and Russia over which country has seabed rights in The Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean. One hopes President Trump is not interested in ceding any U.S. claims for the sake of assuaging Russia.
Putin might offer to buy Alaska back and now that we are purple, Trump may swing a deal with him. Under Bill Walker, we were learning Chinese. Now, it’s Russian.
That be one way for Trump to get rid Murkowski.
I agree! Maybe Putin can take her back to the motherland.
Nah, Putin’s not a buyer – that is, if he’s smart enough to view the goods beforehand. A 30-minute drive through the neighborhoods of Skankorage would sour even a Soviet’s taste for the purchase.
Putin is a state sponsor of terror and a war criminal. He has a warrant out for his arrest. A large group of Alaskans is being organized to enforce the arrest warrant. Putin’s reign of terror is about to end.
Easily the most Historic event ever held in Alaska. The significance that Alaska was once a Russian Possession does not go unnoticed. Especially for Putin. Let us all Pray and Hope that The Alaskan Summit will bring peace in Ukraine.
Are we invited?
Will they try to hide the homeless like they have elsewhere?
Lol, the libs are going to lose their ever-loving minds.
I’m going to start popping corn now.
Very interesting development. Trump has boxed himself in by continuing the war our permanent government started through (and utterly destroying what was once a fledging state since 1991) using Ukraine as a proxy. He promised to, and could have on day 1, simply ended all laundromat cash and arms transfers and recalled our military, using our ISR for targeting and launching missiles into Russia and literally commanding the UAF from Germany. Now the unfolding disaster, 100X worse than Afghanistan, is on Trumps’ legacy.
With NATO and the UAF being systematically defeated, with nothing left to send except printed dollars increasing the national debt, panic is setting in Washington and Brussels. Russia has laid out the terms of their goals, no NATO, de coupling Ukraine from being owned and operated by the US/Europe, de Nazifying their government, recognition of the will of 99.9% of the residents of the 4 regions and Crimea who voted (imagine that concept in Washington and Brussels, locals voting for their preference!), to rejoin the Russian Federation, de militarizing the UAF and creation of a peaceful state, and removal of all CIA, MI-6 agents, American/European military personnel and arms. And for Ukraine to hold elections, instead of dictatorial martial law, another novel concept to the government of the US/EU when dealing with countries they control.
The concept of a cease fire and frozen conflict is unacceptable to Russia and makes no sense. A comprehensive European peace agreement, removing NATO from Russia’s borders and strategic cooperation between the US and Russia are the best possible outcomes.
Trump could order our disentanglement from this disgusting neo con project with the stroke of a pen.
Pray a success. too much dying on both sides. Its easy to make snide comments. Often those sooth a bigger life disappointment, or a hidden desire to appear ‘Tricky’. However, were it your family , friends,
or countrymen being maimed or killed, would those comments then be on the tip of the tongue? I fear not.
Peace,
Al-Ketchikan
The White House travel planners will be relieved when they find out Alaska has 2 dozen McDonald’s!
I really hope they come to an agreement. Everything about our involvement in Ukraine since 2012 has been wrong, bad, despicable, and awful. It’s time to stop.
Sorry, my mis-spelling of Trump was an honest typo.
Comrade Vladimir will undoubtedly bring some guys with him. Would be interesting to have a look at that detail. They are probably not very “woke”.