Trump-Putin Alaska Summit: In a twist of historical past, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday walked on the land that his nation bought away over a century and a half in the past. He attended the extremely anticipated summit with US President Donald Trump, which was held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, marking the primary face-to-face encounter between the 2 leaders in seven years. The icy floor beneath them, as soon as dismissed as nugatory, took centre stage in efforts to thaw at this time’s geopolitical freeze.
Because the crimson carpet was rolled out in one in all America’s most distant and symbolic states, the situation of the summit raised eyebrows and questions. Why Alaska? The reply lies in historical past, geography, technique, and a forgotten deal as soon as dismissed as silly.
From “Seward’s Folly” To Strategic Powerhouse
On 30 March 1867, US Secretary of State William H. Seward signed a deal to buy Alaska from Tsarist Russia for $7.2 million. On the time, the deal was extensively mocked. Critics known as it “Seward’s Folly,” deriding the barren land as “Seward’s Icebox” and “Walrussia.”
However Seward had the final phrase. Requested years later to call the best achievement of his profession, he stated with out hesitation: “The acquisition of Alaska… however it should take the folks a era to seek out it out.” And he was proper.
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Russian Roots Of America’s Northern Frontier
People have lived in Alaska since not less than 14,000 BCE, crossing an historical land bridge from Siberia. Nevertheless it wasn’t till the 18th century that Russia made its mark. Explorer Vitus Bering’s expeditions, backed by the Russian crown, opened the door to colonisation, pushed primarily by the profitable fur commerce.
Quickly after, the Russian-American Firm was established to develop settlements and exploit Alaska’s pure assets. At its peak, Russian America stretched from modern-day Alaska right down to Fort Ross in California. However by the mid-Nineteenth century, overhunting had decimated fur-bearing animals, and the colony turned extra of a burden than a boon.
Russia, reeling from its loss within the Crimean Conflict, started to rethink its American holdings. By 1857, Tsar Alexander II’s authorities was actively exploring a sale. The US stepped in.
Gold, Oil, And Alaska That Paid Off
Whereas the acquisition was strategic, it took time for its true worth to emerge. Gold was found in Alaska in 1880, triggering a rush. However the true turning level got here practically a century later.
In 1968, the huge Prudhoe Bay oil area was found on Alaska’s northern coast, one of many largest in North America. Oil reworked the state’s financial system and secured its place as a cornerstone of US vitality coverage.
Alaska: Icy Stage For Diplomatic Gamble
The selection of Alaska because the summit venue isn’t any coincidence. Right here’s why it issues:
1. Authorized Loophole for Putin
Putin stays below indictment by the Worldwide Legal Court docket for alleged conflict crimes in Ukraine. Whereas over 120 nations recognise ICC jurisdiction, the USA doesn’t. Internet hosting the summit on US soil, particularly Alaska, protects the Russian chief from authorized issues. It’s a calculated transfer, one beforehand prolonged to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who additionally faces ICC fees.
2. Shut, But Chilly: Alaska’s Strategic Symbolism
Simply 4km of water separates Russia from Alaska by way of the Bering Strait. As soon as a part of Russian territory, the state embodies centuries of shared historical past and stress. Its location is a stark reminder of how shut the 2 nations actually are, each geographically and traditionally.
3. Fortress Alaska
The summit is being held at Alaska’s largest navy set up, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Combining air and floor forces, the bottom presents high-level safety and seclusion, removed from the media glare of Washington or New York. It additionally underscores Alaska’s continued position in US defence, particularly within the Arctic.
4. Arctic Pursuits In Play
Alaska is a entrance line within the US-Russia Arctic rivalry, from rising delivery routes to untapped vitality reserves. Holding talks right here sends a powerful message that Arctic cooperation (or competitors) stays on the worldwide agenda.
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A Historical past That Nonetheless Haunts
Though the 1867 sale was seen as a victory for the US, in fashionable Russia, it’s considered with rising remorse. Lately, Russian lawmakers and media have questioned the legality of the deal and lamented what they now see as a giveaway of resource-rich land.
In response to previous experiences, in July 2022, amid heightened nationalist sentiment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin provocatively known as Alaska a “disputed territory” and advised it must be “returned.” However when requested in 2014 if Russia would ever reclaim it, Putin dismissed the concept, saying, “My pricey, why do you want Alaska? It’s too chilly.”
From ‘Frozen Folly’ To ‘Diplomatic Crossroads’
Alaska was as soon as a colonial outpost of little worth, bought off in desperation. Right now, it’s an emblem of energy, technique, and shared historical past, the proper backdrop for a gathering that would form the subsequent chapter of US-Russia relations.
As Trump and Putin met on the icy frontier, the previous and way forward for this huge, frozen land got here sharply into focus.