Alaska's strategic importance rises as Putin plans a visit amid U.S.-Russia tensions. The Arctic's rich resources could influence negotiations over the Ukraine conflict.

Alaska

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska, a location that holds symbolic and strategic importance for both countries. Alaska, once Russian territory, now serves as a critical front line for U.S. defense in the Arctic, an area where Russia is expanding its influence.

The summit's agenda is expected to address ongoing tensions over Ukraine and the Arctic's increasing geopolitical significance. Russia views the Arctic as a potential flashpoint, especially as NATO increases its presence in the region. The meeting may also touch on issues of energy and infrastructure, with Russia potentially leveraging Arctic resources in negotiations. President Trump has indicated he will quickly assess Putin's intentions regarding peace, underscoring the high stakes of the discussions.

Inside the Putin-Trump Alaska summit

On the eve of the high-stakes meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin here in Alaska, tensions over Ukraine and the Arctic could intersect and possibly collide. Let's take a look at why this meeting and this location could prove crucial. As former Russian territory sold to the United States in 1867, Alaska carries a symbolic weight, a bridge between two nations linked by history and the Arctic, even as they stand on opposite sides of a war. Putin's likely route is a short one, just 55 miles across the Bering Strait from Chukotka to Alaska. It's a path that avoids third-party countries and contested airspace, coordinated with U.S. authorities for security. Putin's likely arrival point, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage, home to the Alaskan NORAD region headquarters, which monitors and defends U.S. airspace in the north. Alaska is America's front line in the Arctic, home to nine major military bases and central to U.S. defense strategy in a region where Russia is expanding its footprint. Alaska's strategic importance is clear to both Washington and Moscow. Putin has framed the Arctic not just as a region of cooperation, but a potential flashpoint. We are concerned with the fact that the NATO countries increasingly identify the far north as a foothold for possible conflicts. Earlier this year, we saw what that preparation looks like in Finland, embedding with U.S. troops from Alaska as they joined NATO allies for Arctic Forge, a war game simulating a NATO ally under attack. I guess I hit this intersection. The enemy wasn't named, but the message was clear. Russia. And now the Arctic is potentially part of the bargaining table. Russia, the largest Arctic power, sees energy and infrastructure as a real prize. With 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of its natural gas in play, Moscow could use Arctic development as leverage. The stakes for Ukraine, whether that leverage is traded for land or for peace. President Trump said this week that he expects that within the first two minutes of meeting with Putin, he'll know whether the Russian president is serious about peace. The course of history could change here in Alaska. Jason Bellini, Scripps News Group, Anchorage, Alaska.

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Inside the Putin-Trump Alaska summit

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Ukraine Invasion