Why Alaska?

World politics has taken a surprising turn over the past week. After a series of mutual messages between Moscow and Washington, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in person. The U.S. president announced that the summit will take place in Alaska. According to security policy expert Attila Demko, the choice of Alaska is a major gesture from the Russian side, especially considering the Russian president’s security.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin (Photo: AFP)

The question in the headline might sound familiar to Hungarian readers, but this time no one is thinking of the Emmy-winning TV series Northern Exposure, that ran in Hungary with the title Why Alaska? Trump and Putin are scheduled to sit down in Alaska next Friday to discuss not only the Russia–Ukraine war but also sanctions and the future relationship between the two powers. The news spread quickly—Bloomberg is already reporting on specific territories that Ukraine will have to hand over in the interest of ending the conflict. The significance of the meeting and of Alaska as the venue is, however, complex.

Alaska an interesting choice for the meeting (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

Attila Demko talked about the significance of both the meeting and the location chosen.

Not Peace Talks Yet

The security policy expert explained that while Trump’s statements and Bloomberg’s leaks foreshadow the gravity of discussions to take place, this is not a peace negotiation yet—nor even a ceasefire— but rather the first step toward one. He also pointed out that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff allegedly conveyed Russia’s conditions to Trump. 

Based on the leaks, all of Donetsk region and part of Luhansk would be ceded by Ukraine, while Russia would withdraw from areas including Sumy and Kharkiv in a territorial swap.

"So it's obviously not peace talks or ceasefire - Ukraine is needed for that, too." According to Demko, the talks will likely cover what conditions are acceptable for Russia and what for the U.S..

Besides territorial issues, sanctions and NATO will certainly be on the agenda. 

It’s complex—there have been many small steps before, but this could be the first major real one toward at least a ceasefire,” 

the expert noted.

From a strategic standpoint, Alaska remains a key part of the U.S. defense system, hosting major military bases such as Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage and Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks. Alaska is rich in natural resources—gold, furs, fish, and, more recently, crude oil—and serves as a potential trade gateway to East Asia. Over the decades, it has generated hundreds of billions of dollars in wealth. Back in the 19th century, it was whale oil and fur, followed by copper, gold, timber, fish, platinum, zinc, lead and petroleum, bringing hundreds of billions of dollars.

 

Why Alaska?

Historically, U.S.–Russia meetings have been held on neutral ground: Biden met Putin in Geneva, while Trump and Putin had met in Finland before the country joined NATO. Choosing an American state is unusual from a diplomacy standpoint. Demko suggests that 

speed may have been a factor—organizing a foreign trip for a U.S. president takes time, whereas Alaska is quicker and safer logistically. 

For Russia, accepting the choice appears to be a major symbolic concession, as it does not follow normal diplomatic custom and the Russian president's security is a primary issue, 

Demko stresses. 

The barrage of speculation online highlights the issues of security and flight time—Alaska is close to Moscow, with the trip potentially taking only about eight hours for the Russian president.

If Putin flies directly to Alaska from Moscow on his Ilyushin, he can get here pretty quick. 8 hours to Anchorage and 7.5 to Fairbanks, flying over the pole. Similar to the Condor flight from Anchorage to Frankfurt. pic.twitter.com/U4cPAhR2Xd

— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) August 9, 2025

Cover photo: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin (Photo: AFP)