In a high-stakes, high-risk summit that could prove decisive for the future of Ukraine, US President Donald Trump is set to hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The meeting brings together two leaders on land that once belonged to Russia.
The summit will take place at Elmendorf Air Force Base , a facility whose mission includes monitoring potential threats to North America and which played a key role in watching the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Its motto is "Top Cover for North America."
The choice of location is notable as Putin remains under indictment by the International Criminal Court. The Friday summit will be the first time he has been allowed into a Western country since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump has said that Putin proposed the meeting. It is unclear how much consideration was given to the symbolism of holding talks in Alaska, which is still regarded by some Russian nationalists as historically connected to Moscow.
Trump has previously suggested that discussions could include possible Ukrainian land concessions as part of peace negotiations.
If that occurs, it will happen on soil that Russia sold to the United States in 1867. The sale itself carries historical context. Russia decided to sell Alaska in the mid-19th century, following its defeat in the Crimean War. Supplying and defending the territory was costly and difficult, and there were growing concerns about Britain’s expanding naval power in the Pacific.
The great bargain
Russia’s presence in Alaska began in the mid-18th century, not through military campaigns but through fur traders and explorers seeking the valuable pelts of sea otters.
By the 1780s, Empress Catherine the Great authorised the creation of the Russian-American Company, which was granted a monopoly over trade and governance in the territory. However, over time, the value of Alaska declined for Russia, and its upkeep became more of a burden than an advantage.
In a letter to a friend in July 1867, Eduard de Stoeckl, Russia’s envoy to Washington and the chief negotiator of the sale, wrote, as quoted by The Guardian: "My treaty has met with strong opposition … but this stems from the fact that no one at home has any idea of the true condition of our colonies. It was simply a matter of selling them, or watching them being taken from."
The agreement to sell Alaska for $7.2 million was seen as beneficial for both sides. For Russia, it provided much-needed funds, avoided the possibility of losing the land to Britain without compensation, and opened the door to friendlier relations with a growing power across the Atlantic. For the United States, the purchase was a way to block European expansion into the Pacific and strengthen its position in the region.
Despite these advantages, the decision was not celebrated everywhere. In St Petersburg, some saw it as another blow to Russian prestige after the loss in Crimea. The price, $7.2m, was considered low, and Alaska, although distant and costly to manage, was still viewed by some as a possession worth keeping.
In the United States, Secretary of State William H Seward, who negotiated the treaty, faced public criticism for spending what opponents viewed as an excessive sum on what they called a frozen wasteland. The New-York Daily Tribune dismissed it as "the nominal possession of impassable deserts of snow."
Over time, however, perception changed. The gold rushes of the late 19th century and the discovery of oilfields in later decades transformed Alaska into one of the most resource-rich areas under US control. The sale also briefly improved relations between the two countries, culminating in 1871 when Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich visited New York with a Russian naval squadron and was welcomed with parades, receptions, and civic honours.
As Trump and Putin prepare to meet in Alaska, the backdrop includes the possibility of a renewed phase of US-Russia engagement. For Ukraine, the concern is that such an outcome should not involve any loss of its territory, and that land will no longer be used as part of agreements between major powers.
The summit will take place at Elmendorf Air Force Base , a facility whose mission includes monitoring potential threats to North America and which played a key role in watching the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Its motto is "Top Cover for North America."
The choice of location is notable as Putin remains under indictment by the International Criminal Court. The Friday summit will be the first time he has been allowed into a Western country since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump has said that Putin proposed the meeting. It is unclear how much consideration was given to the symbolism of holding talks in Alaska, which is still regarded by some Russian nationalists as historically connected to Moscow.
Trump has previously suggested that discussions could include possible Ukrainian land concessions as part of peace negotiations.
If that occurs, it will happen on soil that Russia sold to the United States in 1867. The sale itself carries historical context. Russia decided to sell Alaska in the mid-19th century, following its defeat in the Crimean War. Supplying and defending the territory was costly and difficult, and there were growing concerns about Britain’s expanding naval power in the Pacific.
The great bargain
Russia’s presence in Alaska began in the mid-18th century, not through military campaigns but through fur traders and explorers seeking the valuable pelts of sea otters.
By the 1780s, Empress Catherine the Great authorised the creation of the Russian-American Company, which was granted a monopoly over trade and governance in the territory. However, over time, the value of Alaska declined for Russia, and its upkeep became more of a burden than an advantage.
In a letter to a friend in July 1867, Eduard de Stoeckl, Russia’s envoy to Washington and the chief negotiator of the sale, wrote, as quoted by The Guardian: "My treaty has met with strong opposition … but this stems from the fact that no one at home has any idea of the true condition of our colonies. It was simply a matter of selling them, or watching them being taken from."
The agreement to sell Alaska for $7.2 million was seen as beneficial for both sides. For Russia, it provided much-needed funds, avoided the possibility of losing the land to Britain without compensation, and opened the door to friendlier relations with a growing power across the Atlantic. For the United States, the purchase was a way to block European expansion into the Pacific and strengthen its position in the region.
Despite these advantages, the decision was not celebrated everywhere. In St Petersburg, some saw it as another blow to Russian prestige after the loss in Crimea. The price, $7.2m, was considered low, and Alaska, although distant and costly to manage, was still viewed by some as a possession worth keeping.
In the United States, Secretary of State William H Seward, who negotiated the treaty, faced public criticism for spending what opponents viewed as an excessive sum on what they called a frozen wasteland. The New-York Daily Tribune dismissed it as "the nominal possession of impassable deserts of snow."
Over time, however, perception changed. The gold rushes of the late 19th century and the discovery of oilfields in later decades transformed Alaska into one of the most resource-rich areas under US control. The sale also briefly improved relations between the two countries, culminating in 1871 when Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich visited New York with a Russian naval squadron and was welcomed with parades, receptions, and civic honours.
As Trump and Putin prepare to meet in Alaska, the backdrop includes the possibility of a renewed phase of US-Russia engagement. For Ukraine, the concern is that such an outcome should not involve any loss of its territory, and that land will no longer be used as part of agreements between major powers.
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