Why the Putin-Trump Alaska summit is stirring mixed feelings in America’s gateway to Russia

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin will meet US President Donald J. Trump in Alaska on August 15.

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin will meet US President Donald J. Trump in Alaska on August 15 to talk about putting an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine. While the location recognizes Alaska's historic status as a bridge from Russia to America, the political and cultural atmosphere of the state towards its western neighbour has suddenly cooled since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. For years, Alaska tried to become a neutral forum for East-West diplomacy — but a lot of residents today look at Moscow with suspicion, the New York Times said.

Alaska's Russian heritage

Russian presence in Alaska goes back to the 18th century when the Russian Empire originally colonized the region. Even after the United States purchased Alaska in 1867, Russian-speaking enclaves continued and Orthodox churches with their typical onion-shaped domes roofed towns from the remote Aleutian Islands to Anchorage. This cultural tradition was once a source of pride for much of Alaska, a reminder of the state's unique role between continents. But since the Ukraine crisis flared, these venerable connections have been overshadowed by politics.

From citizen diplomacy to strained relations

Alaska played a dynamic role in citizen diplomacy during the post-Cold War era, with more exchanges between Alaska and Russia in business, science, and education. Historians indicate that those ties began to erode under Mr. Putin's rule in the early 2000s. The takeover of Ukraine accelerated the process. In 2023, the Anchorage Assembly suspended its decades-long sister city affiliation with Magadan, in response to the Russian government. Juneau, however, held onto its relationship with Vladivostok, signalling the deterioration even within the state of how to merge politics and history.

Strategic stage for diplomacy

Alaska's geography — just 55 miles from Russia at its closest point — has for centuries provided a strategic stage for diplomacy. During the Cold War, it was an American missile defence front line. More recently, in 2021, the Biden administration chose Anchorage for high-level talks with Chinese officials. While the White House has not formally declared the host city for the Aug. 15 summit, local businessmen suggest the Secret Service has booked rooms in Anchorage, which would suggest Anchorage would host. To others, it presents the chance to remind the world of Alaska's role in global diplomacy.

Political reactions vary from hope to caution

Republican state governors have welcomed the summit. Gov. Mike Dunleavy claimed Alaska remains "a gateway for diplomacy, commerce and security in one of the most important places on the planet." Sen. Lisa Murkowski, while leaning toward negotiations being an option, warned that she is "deeply suspicious of Putin and his regime." Democrats have been more dubious. Eric Croft, a chairman of the Alaska Democratic Party, argued that the summit emphasizes Mr. Trump's failure to end the war in Ukraine earlier, which he had pledged to do while campaigning. The summit, for most ordinary Alaskans, is secondary to concerns regarding inflation, Medicaid funding, and domestic economic issues.

Balancing symbolism and substance

Having the summit gives Alaska a moment in the global spotlight and stirs its identity as a crossroads between East and West. The visit, however, is timed when Russian good will has fallen very strongly, and all diplomatic symbolism will be gauged against the brutal facts of an ongoing war. For others, the meeting is a time for movement toward peace. For others, it's a reminder that past connections between Alaska and Russia have been redirected — perhaps irretrievably — by the 21st-century geopolitics.