President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are slated to have a high-stakes meeting Friday at a military base in Alaska with origins that were crucial to the U.S.’s fight against the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
It remains to be seen whether the frosty Alaska climate will temper tensions between the two world leaders as Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
It’s the first publicly known in-person confab between the two world leaders since their Helsinki meeting in 2018, and Trump has tamped down expectations on the eve of their latest summit.
“I believe now [Putin]’s convinced that he’s going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal,” Trump said Thursday on Fox News Radio. “We’re going to find out — I’m going to know very quickly.”
Trump targeted Putin on social media in April, pleading “Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Despite ongoing peace talks and Trump’s pledge to quickly resolve the conflict, Russia’s invasion and war against Ukraine has persisted.
Here are some details about where the two leaders will meet:
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson dates to 1940s
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage was created in 2010 through the consolidation of the Air Force’s Elmendorf base and the Army’s Fort Richardson. Its origins owe much to the Cold War.
The physical location of the base was built in the 1940s as an air defense site and central command point that played a major role in thwarting Soviet enemies.
It housed more than 200 fighter jets in the 1950s, and it became known as the “Top Cover for North America” for its role in flight tracking and monitoring potential threats from foreign adversaries.
It is the headquarters for the nation’s Alaskan Command, 11th Air Force Airborne Division and the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region.
The base is now home to many families, with a population of more than 32,000. It has a group yoga event scheduled on Saturday, according to the base’s community calendar.
Next door to Russia
The U.S. bought Alaska from the Russian Empire more than 150 years ago for $7.2 million, the equivalent of more than $156 million today.
The Bering Strait lies between the two, with a narrow crossing between the Pacific and Arctic oceans. It’s thought to be one of the initial avenues for explorers finding the uppermost parts of North America.
“Alaska is a beautiful state that is geographically convenient for both parties,” a White House official told The Hill of the site selection. “It was an appropriate venue for President Trump to accept President Putin’s request to meet.”
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), who was the GOP vice presidential nominee in 2008 was frequently parodied as supposedly claiming her foreign credentials by being able to “see Russia from [her] house” because of the state’s proximity, though that was not what she actually said.
“They’re our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska,” she told an ABC News reporter during the 2008 campaign.
Updated at 12:58 p.m. EDT
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