Why Alaska? Inside Trump and Putin’s high-stakes summit to end the Ukraine war

Trump-Putin Ukraine peace talks

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet on August 15 in Alaska’s largest city or another undisclosed location for talks aimed at resolving the ongoing war in Ukraine. It will be their first in-person meeting since the start of Trump’s second term.

Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump said he believes that he has "a shot" at securing peace and hinted at possible "swapping of territories" between Ukraine and Russia, though he offered no specifics.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the upcoming Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, expressing strong opposition to any negotiations conducted without Ukraine's direct involvement.

The Kremlin confirmed the upcoming summit in an official online statement, with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stating that the primary focus of the talks will be the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“The presidents themselves will undoubtedly focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis,” Ushakov stated in a message shared on Telegram.

But the question arises: why has Alaska been chosen as the venue for the meeting?

The decision to hold the next Trump-Putin summit in Alaska has historical significance as well as pragmatic implications.

Since the Russian Empire began exploring and colonizing parts of Alaska in the 18th century, setting up fur trading posts and expanding its influence across the Bering Sea, the area has had a close relationship with Russia for more than 200 years.

Russia's 125-year presence in North America, which once stretched as far south as Fort Ross, California, came to an end on March 30, 1867, when the US and Russia signed the Treaty of Cession. At that time, Moscow sold Alaska to the US for $7.2 million, or roughly two cents per acre.

US President Dwight D Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act in 1959, and Alaska became the 49th US state.

Now, let’s explore the legal and logistical reasons behind this choice.

One key factor is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s status as the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

If Putin were to travel to an ICC member country, that state would be legally obligated to detain him. The United States, however, is not a party to the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction, meaning no such obligation exists on US soil.

Geography also played a role. Alaska’s proximity to Russia, with just 55 miles separating the two across the Bering Strait, and some smaller islands even closer, makes it a convenient meeting point.

While the Kremlin had reportedly considered alternative locations, including the United Arab Emirates, President Trump confirmed in his announcement that the talks would take place in Alaska, a location with deep historical ties and strategic significance.

Significance of Alaska 

The United States' acquisition of Alaska was motivated by both economic and strategic interests. The region is rich in natural resources, gold, fur, fisheries, and, more recently, petroleum, and serves as a potential trade gateway to East Asia.

Over the decades, Alaska has generated immense wealth. In the 19th century, resources like whale oil and fur were extracted, followed by copper, gold, timber, fish, platinum, zinc, lead, and petroleum in the years that followed, amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars in value.

Strategically, Alaska remains a crucial part of the U.S. defense system. It hosts several key military bases, including Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage and Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, reinforcing its role in national security.