According to CNN, American officials scrambling to secure a venue for Friday’s summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin quickly ran into a distinctly Alaskan problem: summer tourism season.
With hotels, conference centers, and other suitable venues packed with visitors, options both available and capable of hosting two world leaders were scarce.
When word spread among prominent Alaskans that Trump and Putin were headed north, a few began reaching out to the president’s allies with an unconventional offer: their homes. It remains unclear whether those suggestions ever reached White House staff.
White House advance teams reportedly contacted sites in Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks, but summit organizers soon concluded that only Anchorage could meet the logistical and security requirements.
Ultimately, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on the city’s northern edge, emerged as the sole viable location, CNN reported. The choice, however, came with optics the White House had hoped to avoid — hosting the Russian leader on a US military base.
This is the first meeting between a US and Russian president in more than four years. US and Russian officials are still finalizing details, with both sides working quickly to prepare for the high-profile encounter. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke Tuesday to discuss “certain aspects of preparation,” according to Russia’s foreign ministry.
Traditionally, such high-stakes meetings takes months of preparation and haggling over venues and agendas. But this is Trump style: He said he wants to have more of a “feel out” session without expectations. The White House on Tuesday called it a “listening session.”
“The president feels like, ‘Look, I’ve got to look at this guy across the table. I need to see him face to face. I need to hear him one-on-one. I need to make an assessment by looking at him,’” Rubio told radio host Sid Rosenberg, noting that Trump’s five phone calls with Putin this year weren’t enough to gauge the Russian leader’s intentions.
A Temporary Flight Restriction was declared for Anchorage area on Friday, which will greatly impact the movement of smaller non-commercial planes. That story is below:
Oh how boring! There is so much more to Alaska then Anchorage and JBER.
It’s not a sight-seeing trip.
They could let Vlad catch a silver in Ship Creek.
Here,here!
Oh yes it is!!
Yes, for example the Alyeska Resort.
Let’s show our support for President Trump. We hear Dems have one of the largest protests against him Anchorage has ever had.
We beed to be sure we show just the opposite.
President Trump Rally!
Location: Old Sears Mall, Midtown Mall – Anchorage
🗓 Date: Friday, August 15th
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Bring your Trump signs, American flags, Alaska Republican pride & let’s show President Trump that Alaska stands strong with him and with our conservative values. Let’s fill Midtown Anchorage with a sea of red, white, and blue!
I agree … what’s a shame is how a group of dissenters called Democrats care so little for their country because it’s obvious , they lie and betray their own fellow citizen to the world to show their disdains. What happens you Democrats become untrustworthy and treasonous instead of the appearing part of a united front.
Do you suppose Bernadette Wilson, Chris Tuck, Cathy Giessell and Lisa Murkowski will be there as controlled opposition??
They are welcome to meet at my hanger.
I vote Kriner’s Diner! Andy was a Patriot of the highest order.
And why not Dillingham or Nome? Russia probably has photos of those places already from their long range plane incursions over the years. A lot better than on a military instalation. Better yet the Greatroom at the Grand Aleutian in Dutch Harbor. Only a few minutes is going to be on camera. Fly the press corps to and from Anchorage and give them a landing and scenery to write about too. Or if we’re all wanting to shock the world hold it in Bethel. That will give plenty of writing material.
We are sending the guy who believes windmills cause cancer to meet with an ex-KGB agent. Seems like a fair challenge.
Trump said that? Uhhh… nope.
What Trump actually said is “They say the noise causes cancer.” Repeating a statement uttered by someone else is a far cry from belief.
But, you do you.
CB. Irrelevant distinction.
CB you can not argue with a liberal, it is like “John Wayne” said life is tuff, it is even tougher when you are stupid!
Sounds like you may have been dropped on your head as a child, or was it more recently?
Haha Sebastian you probably also believe he literally told everyone to “drink bleach” when in fact he was talking about injecting light as disinfectant as suggested by a scientist who was near him during the statement. You brainwashed narrative puppets are still going on and on with the lies told to you. But having a broken mind makes you easy to control. Far easier to be led like a sheep than have to think for yourself. I understand why fools like you don what you do. I get it. But the problem with stupidity is that you are not the only ones who suffer, you make those around you suffer as well.
Turn off the TV and maybe observe reality.
Windmills cause blunt force trauma to our Alaskan and migratory birds! They’re pathetically inefficient and awful aesthetically! Fire Island looks like SH— —!!
Waiting for an original thought from this dude. Good think we’re not holding our breath.
Hosting the Russian leader on a US military base? Now that’s how you show Trump how stupid Alaska Politicians are! They knew he was coming and still couldn’t get it right
No paid protesters can go on base or the idiots from the 4 July scam.
A military base makes the most sense. Greater security and limited access. Hope the talks go well.
It is a perfect opportunity for some terracotta army style of displays. Get the Russians thinking something that is false.
they simply cannot meet at russian Gudym base across the Bering Strait, just have a look: ‘https://polarnews.ch/news-magazin/arktis/geschichte/gudym-das-geheime-nuklearlager
“According to CNN…” Like they have a good record for getting anything right! The meeting should be held on Adak – no distractions, no protests and who knows, they may get weathered in and actually have to accomplish something!
Uh, what happened to the Zoom thing? Avoiding long hugs and photo ops is good for the climate. Sweeney for Governor, nah President!
A simple video conference would save all this expense. Putin gains credibility by entering Alaska.
It wasn’t that long ago that US national security policy was to ice state sponsors of terror.
Meanwhile, Mayor LaFrance is all puffed up bragging about how ready and professional her Anchorage staff is, and how they’re prepared for this visit. She’s not prepared for anything. The visit will be on Elmendorf. I’ll believe that the administration will be prepared when the bums and their feces are swept from the street and the Homeless Industrial Complex is shut down.