United States President Donald Trump is set to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Following a virtual meeting with European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump warned of severe consequences if Putin refuses to accept a ceasefire after more than three years of war. The venue for this high-profile meeting is Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a US military installation located on the northern edge of Alaska’s largest city. This base is known as a key US site for Arctic military drills and readiness.
Interestingly, the US government bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, despite being separated by just 90 kilometers (55 miles) at the narrowest point of the Bering Strait. Russian presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov pointed out that the two countries are neighbors, making it seem logical for the meeting to take place in Alaska.
The history of this region dates back to 1725 when Russian Tsar Peter the Great sent Danish navigator Vitus Bering to explore the Alaskan coast. This led to the establishment of settlements by the Russian-American Company, including Sitka, which became the colonial capital after Russia overcame the native Tlingit tribe in 1804. However, Russia’s Alaskan ambitions faced numerous challenges, such as the vast distance from the then-capital St Petersburg, harsh climates, and supply shortages. The Crimean War, which Russia lost, forced the country to reassess its colonial priorities and ultimately led to the sale of Alaska in 1867. The purchase, initially criticized as “Seward’s Folly,” became a valuable addition to US territory, especially after the Klondike Gold Strike in 1896 and the discovery of oil reserves in 1968.
Today, Alaska’s economy is built on a mix of natural resource extraction, fishing, and tourism. The state benefits from oil revenues, which fund public services and the Alaska Permanent Fund, which pays annual dividends to residents. This system allows Alaska to have no state income tax or state sales tax. Despite its history of trading land, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy hopes that Friday’s meeting between Trump and Putin does not come at the expense of Ukrainian territory.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/15/why-did-russia-sell-alaska-to-the-united-states?traffic_source=rss
