The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, scheduled for August 15, has generated significant excitement in global media. The northernmost US state – Alaska – was chosen as the venue, rather than previously suggested locations such as Turkey, UAE, Qatar, Vatican, or Switzerland.
Putin Alaska Summit: Security and Travel Concerns
Kremlin media hint that Putin, by this choice, is ostensibly reminding Trump that Alaska was once Russian and could become Russian territory again. But the real reason is simpler: it is the only place for a meeting with Trump where Putin can arrive without fear of his plane being shot down or forced to land for detention under an International Criminal Court warrant.
☛ For a meeting in the Vatican or Switzerland, Putin’s flight path would have to cross over European Union countries, most of which are NATO members and are obliged to execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for the Russian leader.
☛ A summit in Turkey, UAE, or Qatar would also involve risks. Due to deteriorating relations with Azerbaijan, Putin would have to take a long detour away from the Caspian Sea, which would increase travel time and create additional security threats. Thus, Alaska, being US territory, became the safest option for Putin, especially with personal guarantees from Trump.
NEWSROOM IN notes that relations between Russia and Azerbaijan sharply deteriorated after an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane was shot down on December 25, 2024. The Azerbaijani side claims that the plane was fired upon by Russian air defense, and President Ilham Aliyev stated that “the situation with the AZAL plane is clear as day.”
He noted: “Unfortunately, we have received no response from official Russian representatives. Seven months have passed since this incident. We know what happened. The question is why they are not acting as any neighbor should in a similar situation. Our demand was absolutely natural – to admit guilt, punish those who shot down our plane, and pay compensation both to the families of the deceased and for the AZAL aircraft.”
NEWSROOM IN also notes that Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars in gold. The signing of the treaty took place on March 18 (30), 1867, in Washington. The treaty was drafted in English and French. The entire Alaska Peninsula, the Alexander and Kodiak Archipelagos, the Aleutian Islands, and several islands in the Bering Sea were transferred to the US. The total area of the land sold was approximately 1,519,000 square kilometers.
The official transfer ceremony took place on October 18, 1867, in Novo-Arkhangelsk (now Sitka), the capital of the Russian colony in North America.
