The US Secret Service has rented a house in Alaska where US President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on Friday, August 15. This was reported by UNN with reference to The New York Times.
Location of the Trump-Putin meeting
The White House has not confirmed exactly where the meeting will take place. But realtor Larry Disbrow, who handles short-term rentals in Anchorage and is also Germany's honorary consul, said he rented a six-bedroom house to the Secret Service for the meeting.
"The US Secret Service contacted me today and asked if I had any vacancies, and I replied that I had the premises they needed,"
"I understand why Alaska might be an attractive place for something like this from a historical perspective. But it certainly surprised me,"
Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said in an interview on Saturday that she had received no hints as to whether her city would host a meeting between Trump and Putin.
"Hosting leaders is not unusual for us here in Alaska. Serving as a place for diplomacy is part of our history, as we are that crossroads of the world,"
Trump stated he will meet with Putin on August 15 in Alaska8/9/25, 1:42 AM • [views_297385]
Historical influence of the Russian Federation on Alaska
The warm relations between Alaskans and Russians began to change with Vladimir Putin's rise to power and the invasion of Ukraine.
As NYT writes, Putin may face a somewhat cool reception in Alaska, as the state, which has long made efforts to deepen and even celebrate its ties with this country, has become enraged with its neighbor across the Bering Sea.
David Ramseur, who served as an aide to former Alaska Governors Tony Knowles and Steve Cowper, said the setting for the summit is complex, given how the historical "affinity" between Alaskans and Russians has weakened since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"Alaskan advocates have pushed for Alaska to be an international gateway almost since it achieved statehood,"
"So in that sense, it's good for Alaska. It makes us visible for a few hours," he said.
"Russian culture and Russian history are woven into Alaska. There are many remnants of Russian-American heritage,"
- said Brandon Boylan, a professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who has researched Alaska's role in US-Russia relations.
He said that while Russian politicians' statements about reclaiming their former American territory have largely "not been successful," the war in Ukraine has still alarmed Alaskans and soured their feelings toward their western neighbor, Professor Boylan said.
He noted that while Russian politicians' statements about reclaiming former American territories have generally not been successful, the war in Ukraine continues to trouble Alaskans and worsen their attitude toward their western neighbor.
"If tensions between the US and Russia escalate, I think we will feel it most acutely again in Alaska,"
- he said.
Boylan said that Alaska's location at the intersection of Asia and North America has long made it a strategic location for diplomacy. The Biden administration held high-level talks with China at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage in 2021.
"Deadlock" for both or a diplomatic victory for Putin: FT experts on the meeting of US and Russian leaders in Alaska
Trump has visited Alaska at least five times since taking office in 2017, mostly for stops at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. The meeting with Putin will be Trump's first official trip to the state since the beginning of his second term.
The state's congressional delegation and the governor, all Republicans, publicly welcomed their state's choice for the meeting between Trump and Putin.
Additions
CNN reported that on Saturday, a diplomatic skirmish unfolded after US President Donald Trump announced that he would meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may also be present during this meeting.