By PAUL FUHS
What an honor to have these talks between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin here in Alaska on Aug. 15. More than any other US state, Alaska has been negatively affected by the latest European conflict, the Ukraine war. The stakes for us in a successful negotiated settlement are enormous.
Of course, these talks must be seen in the overall historical relationship between the United States, Russia and Alaska.
While Europe has had thousands of years history fighting and learning to hate each other, the only war on our own soil was of our own making: the Civil War. European countries weighed in. Few Americans are aware that Russia supported the Union, while Brittain and France supported slavery and the Confederacy.
In the US war for our own independence, Russia supported the Americans while the rest of Europe supported Brittain. After the 9/11 attack, the first one to call and pledge a cooperative effort against terrorism was Vladimir Putin. And let’s not forget that Russia was America’s strongest ally during World War II in the fight against European fascism. On historical balance, no country has been more loyal to the United States than Russia.
While the US and Russia are the only two major nations that have never been at war with each other, the battle against ‘communism’ played out in a number of proxy wars, including Vietnam and our funding of the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan who were fighting Russia, which developed into the Taliban, which attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Following the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union in the 1990’s, major headway was achieved on the economic front as a captitalist Russia invited thousands of Western companies to invest in industries there. Alaska was one of the leaders in establishing these operations as described below. The profits made in Russia were returned to Alaska.
Unfortunately, due to the Ukraine conflict, economic sanctions against Russia were applied, which deeply impacted Alaska’s economic interests and have actually been completely ineffective.
On the global front, the US, as an Arctic nation, has published a ‘National Strategy for the Arctic’ that states its goal to seek an “Arctic that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and cooperative”. To our detriment, Ukraine related sanctions have fundamentally discarded this outlook.
Here are the current relevant Alaskan and Arctic issues affected by sanctions:
- Climate change data. Due to sanctions on Arctic cooperation, Russia is no longer allowed to provide climate data from their section of the Arctic which is 40%. I attended the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan to represent the Northern Forum. The climate modelers there said their climate models no longer work without the Russian data. It is difficult to see how this prohibition can be justified since climate change is regularly presented as an “exisential threat” to the planet, and even the human race.
- Destruction of trans Arctic cooperation in the Arctic Council, Arctic Economic Council, Northern Forum (of which Alaska is a member) and the Arctic Mayors Forum. Full resumption of cooperation is necessary to fullfil the promise of these organizations that are dedicated to cooperatively addressing Alaskan and Arctic issues.
- Resumption of opportunities for Alaska oil field service firms that before sanctions, had strong opportunities for work in Russian oil fields. With our substantial experience in Arctic oil field development and mining, we brought environmentally responsible practices there and brought the profits back to Alaska. These contracts were all cancelled by sanctions and the Chinese moved in to take their place.
- Due to European sanctions against buying Russian oil, it is now being diverted to Asian markets in China, India, and Japan, with crude oil now sailing through ice covered waters just off the coast of Alaska in the Bering Strait. This constitutes a high level threat to food security in the Arctic. Sanctions against maritime insurance coverage in the Arctic were also applied, further intensifying the risk of inadequate funding for oil spill cleanup.
- Joint Arctic Coast Guard Forum response planning exxercises with Russian participation were cancelled and must be resumed.
- A trans Arctic coordinated vessel tracking, monitoring and emergency response system is needed to substantially reduce these risks on the Northern Sea Route. This system should be modeled on the Marine Exchange of Alaska and the Norwegian Coastal Administration prevention systems.
- Price cap sanctions on Russian oil create an incentive for Asian nations to burn even more fossil fuel at a time when the Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet. In addition, this mandated lower pricing creates an energy price deficit, harming the economic competetiveness of Alaska’s gasline export project.
- Fisheries research and cooperative management regimes in the Bering and Arctic oceans with Russia were cancelled. As the climate warms, fish are moving further North. In the meantime, Russian fisheries operations North of the Bering Strait go on without restrictions. While Norway speaks strongly against Russian cooperation, it maintains its own cooperative research and co management of fisheries agreements with Russia in the Barents Sea and this should be a model.
- The fluctuations in Alaska’s salmon stocks are an ongoing mystery. We know how many juvenile salmon leave our rivers and hatcheries, but very little about what happens in the open ocean. A joint research project was initiated with Russia to determine food and predatory interactions in the Gulf of Alaska within the EEZ’s of both countries. Due to sanctions, the project was cancelled because the research vessel was Russian. This important research must be resumed.
- Due to sanctions, Russia has increased their quotas of fish caught and dumped on the market, creating a destabilizing economic disaster for Alaskan communities and fishing businesses who lost $1.8 billion last year. Counter sanctions have cost Alaskan fishermen $14 million per year in salmon caviar sales.
- Alaska previously had convenient air routes directly to Russia, through Petropavlavsk, Hkabarovsk and Sakhalin which were cancelled. This has harmed business, tourism, education, and cultural exchanges. Reciprocal landing rights must be renegotiated.
- The closure and reduction of diplomatic consulates and visa services of the US and Russia has damaged tourism operations, trade, business and native family visitation. These closures should be reversed.
- Since the construction of US icebreakers is many years off, we need to have agreements for the use Russian and Chinese fleets in emergency response situations in the Arctic: A protocol for ice breaker response, ‘Uber for Icebreakers’ so that the nearest ice breaker can respond, regardless of flag.
When there is eventually a negotiated settlement of the Ukraine conflict, we should be very proactive in encouraging our local, state, and federal political leaders to eliminate these damaging sanctions and to support an immediate resumption in Arctic cooperation.
It is such an honor to have these talks taking place in Alaska. Let’s wish the very best for successful negotiations, and a resumption of our historical cooperation with all of our Arctic neighbors including Russia.
Paul Fuhs is the former mayor of Dutch Harbor, Former commissioner of Commerce and International Trade for Alaska, former chairman of the board of AIDEA, the Alaska Energy Authority, and the State Bond Bank. He currently serves as the Arctic Goodwill Ambassador for the Northern Forum, the transArctic coalition of regional governments and states.
Once again, as in all dealings with the Feds, Alaska’s first question is: What’s in it for me? Right on brand for the MAGA crowd. How about “What’s in it for the poor, beleaguered, Ukrainians?
I do not give a toss about the Ukrainians. Why should I place the wants of someone else before my own? No… not the right question. Why should I allow the government to place the wants of some other country ahead of the needs of this one?
Uh, compassion, empathy, sympathy, and Matthew 22:39 for starters.
Very informative article Paul, thank you. A good primer on how US sanctions imposed during Democrat presidencies harmed various Alaska industries while benefiting communist China.
Only problem is a few facts need checking. War of 1812 with Britain was fought on our soil. War with Japan was fought on our soil in Hawaii and especially the Alutians. other than that it’s a very well written article with points I agree with.
Positive, specific and objective article, Paul.
Why are people of the author’s era so terrified of grammar?
Or spell checkers for that matter. If one can’t be bothered to do the most basic review of spelling and grammar, can one be trusted to have done the most basic review of the claims of “climate change?”
Weren’t we supposed to have an ice-free Arctic Ocean by now?
Trump’s talks with Putin are about ending the Ukrainian war through peaceful means. He’s not going to change Russian domestic and foreign policy, that’s a whole new project there.
If, because of sanctions, Russia can’t sell their fish to the biggest market in the World – the USA – shouldn’t that increase the price paid to Alaskan fishermen for their product? Of course, it would! Unfortunately, that is not happening because domestic processors engage in price fixing and will use any excuse to lower the price they pay to Alaska fishermen Sadly, our government leaders are too incompetent & naive to see through the ruse.
I wish AI would do a pencil drawing of Putin and Trump riding through Katmai bare chested with beautiful red salmon in their mouths.
Let Putin and Trump talk about opening up rare minerals in the USA…not Ukraine. Better yet..get the ball rolling here in Alaska….
Someone needs to review the war for independence.
The whole of Europe did not support Britain.
France and Spain to some degree had a big part of support. You would have to detain what assistance Russia provided?
Don’t forget, and we should remind others, of the importance Alaska played in being the staging ground for a large portion of the Lend-Lease materiel sent to the Soviets that allowed them continue fighting and repel the Nazi invaders. The Alaska ferry route supplied desperately needed aircraft to rebuild the Soviet air force that was nearly wiped out at the start of the 1941 Russian Campaign.
Just a few points:
Paragraph 3
Wasn’t the Revolutionary War fought on our own soils?
Britain and France were officially neutral during our Civil War.
Yes Russia did support the US during our Civil War, but only as a way to counter Britain and Europe.
The date — Aug. 15 — is a MAJOR Catholic Feast Day, the Assumption of Mary, body & soul, into Heaven.
The USSR dissolved on Dec. 25, 1991. Need I say more?
Reagan & Gorbachev reached an important summit agreement on Dec. 8, 1988, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
At Fatima in July 1917, Mary told the 3 children: “Russia will spread her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and revolutions. Many nations will be annihilated.”
The 1997 book, The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression, by Stephane Courtois, places the death toll of communism in the 20th century at 94 million, making atheistic communist regimes more deadly than the first two World Wars combined.
This passed “the test of a prophet”.
We should all pray for PEACE and the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace.
Catholics are Moloch worshipers. Their proclivities do not benefit the affairs of humans.
Correct, not the affairs of humans; the affairs of our souls.
How can they be anything other than propaganda, and on Trump’s part deflection from Epstein. Without President Zelensky what do you expect they will do? Will trump agree that Russia can keep the stolen land?
Paul, your piece is incredibly disappointing. Russia is run by a gangster regime that is a state sponsor of terror. It indiscriminately kills men, women and children. Putin is a psychopath that uses war to distract Russians from the fact that his gangster government has stolen more than one trillion dollars in wealth from the Russian people. Hundreds of thousands of people have died as a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Before Putin Russia was run by other ruthless dictators who built nuclear weapons that are pointed at us. These dictators, esp. Stalin have murdered tens of millions of their own citizens.
Keeping Russian oil and gas off the world market through sanctions is especially helpful to Alaska- as it gives us an opportunity to finally start selling North Slope LNG.
If Dunleavy had any balls, he’d order the State Troopers and national guard to arrest Putin the second he landed here. Putin is worse than any of the many serial killers the US has dealt with. But Dunleavy, like Sullivan refuses to state the truth. They’re too chicken.
Here’s hoping that Pootin’s plane crashes and we finally have a chance for real peace by replacing a proven psychopath with someone who isn’t a mentally ill nut job.
This is what it looks like to be fully vaccinated and drink lots of fluoride.
Sanctions aren’t keeping Russian oil and gas off the world market, just making them cheaper for the limited world market still consuming Russian oil and gas.
It would probably be best for Governor Dunleavys legacy if he weren’t to start WWIII.
While your dislike of President Trump is well known, his throwback style of diplomacy has been quite effective much to the chagrin of the left. Instead of the appeasement seen under the Obama/Biden/Harris Administration we are witnessing effective diplomacy and as witnessed by all the squealing those who mindlessly oppose President Trump are finding themselves once again on the wrong side of history.
Steve, before you get too deep into your man crush of Trump, consider what a spectacular failure the guy is. Canadians were very tired of Trudeau and his uber liberal nonsense. They were about to elect a decent conservative- until Trump started flapping his gums spouting absolute nonsense about Canada needing to the the 51st state. Well. That got the Canadians to rally around a liberal named Mark Carney.
Congratulations. Trump couldn’t keep his mouth shut, and instead of a conservative PM, we have a liberal. Great diplomacy, Steve O!
If you argued Obama appeased Putin, I’d agree. But even the half dead, demented Biden gave Ukraine a fighting chance to defend itself against Russia- Putin’s 3 day war is a failure, NATO now has two new members, and there are about a million Russians dead or injured. No one with a brain would call that appeasement.
Oh, you’re a Canadian that explains it!
Excellent article with many specifics most don’t think of.
The failed Ukraine project, planned to cause regime change in Russia was based on a beltway worldview detached from reality.
The level of desperation in Washington, as underlined by the Trump Administration deploying B61-12 thermonuclear bombs to the UK and other locations, weapons of last resort and escalating the chance of a nuclear exchange. Over Ukraine?! Insanity.
The question is, will the mercurial Trump listen to voices of wisdom like Witkoff or imbeciles like General Kellog?
General Donahue, who was promoted to 4 Star for his meticulous and stellar planning of our military’s disastrous Afghan flight recently threatened NATO can invade Kaliningrad in 72 hours. This is the level of ineptness plaguing our Pentagon and a serious national security threat to our country.
Let’s hope the knuckleheads in our CIA and their MI-6 and SBU henchmen do not launch another terror attack on Russia during this summit, like Operation Spiderweb and Crocus City Hall.
“…….General Donahue, who was promoted to 4 Star for his meticulous and stellar planning of our military’s disastrous Afghan flight recently threatened NATO can invade Kaliningrad in 72 hours……….”
Probably closer to 36 hours. And you can be quite confident that NATO wouldn’t run out of gas in the process like the Russians did on their way to Kiev.
Reggie – Still getting your news from the legacy media, I see! The propaganda story that the Russian military convoy poised outside of Kiev had “run out of gas” was almost immediately debunked when it was first concocted. You probably still believe in the “Ghost of Kiev!” LMAO
Im quite sure France allied with the Colonies during the war of Independence
Paul:
An excellent article about Russia-Alaska relationships. Good relationships between the United States and Russia have spanned more than centuries. Alaska was sold to the United States because of the excellent relations they had at that time. In 1861, Tsar Alexander II freed more than 23 million serfs in an ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ issued in St. Petersburg in April 1861. Abraham Lincoln, this nation’s finest president, issued the ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ that freed about 5 million African-Americans from slavery in 1863. Some say the actions were linked. Sadly both leaders had something else in common. Both were assassinated–Lincoln in 1865 and Alexander II in 1881. Many of us in Alaska hope for better relations between the two nations.