Alaska Ready to Host Trump’s Meeting With Putin
Alaska is prepared to host Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, states the Alaskan Governor, Mike Dunleavy. Photo from Trump's visit to Alaska in 2019. (Photo: Sheila Craighead/the White House)
On Friday, the presidents of the USA and Russia will meet in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine. State Governor Mike Dunleavy welcomes the meeting. "It's fitting that discussions of global importance take place here," he states.
Last week, US President Donald Trump (R) announced that he will be meeting the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, August 15th. The meeting has been confirmed by the Kremlin.
The topic for the discussions will be Russia's war in Ukraine, to which Trump wants an end.
Alaskan Governor Mike Dunleavy (R) looks forward to the meeting being held in his state.
"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," states Dunleavy on X and continues:
"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."
Hopes for real progression
The role of host is also welcomed by Alaskan Senator Dan Sullivan (R).
"It will be an honor for our state to host yet another important meeting between world leaders, as we did between President Reagan and Pope John Paul II in 1984, and between President Nixon and the Emperor of Japan in 1971. Alaskans stand ready to support this important effort for peace and welcome President Trump and his team," he writes on X.
The state's other senator, Lisa Murkowski (R), expresses a cautious hope for Friday's conversation to lead to substantial results:
"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," Murkowski states on X.
Expectations
At a press conference in Washington D.C. on Monday, Trump stated that he expects constructive conversations with Putin in Alaska, but that he also does not aim to make a deal to end the war.
"It is not up to me to make a deal," said the American president, and maintained that he would call Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders after the meeting.
Trump also expressed that he envisions negotiations on the exchange of land – and that the talks in Alaska should be followed up with a meeting between Zelensky and Putin, where he also could participate.
On the Russian side, there are expectations for the next meeting between Trump and Putin to be held in Russia. The Kremlin has already handed over an invitation for this, stated Putin's aide, Yury Ushakov, on Friday.
He also said preparations for the meeting in Alaska will be challenging.
"In the next few days, Moscow and Washington will, of course, be working vigorously and hard on the practical and political parameters of the Alaska summit. We expect this process will not be simple, but we will be engaged in it actively and consistently," said Ushakov.
