Trump, Putin to meet in Alaska amid controversy
The U.S. administration and the Kremlin have scheduled a summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
The choice came after U.S. officials found that options in Alaska that met security requirements were extremely limited, especially during the peak tourist season.
According to CNN, the White House initially hoped to avoid the image of hosting the Russian leader at a U.S. military installation, but other locations did not meet the necessary conditions. Preliminary discussions also considered destinations such as Vienna, Geneva, the United Arab Emirates, or Hungary. However, Moscow refused the European options due to the arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court in 2023.
"I considered it very respectful that the President of Russia is coming to our country instead of us going to him or a third location," Trump said as his team finalized the logistical details. However, former national security adviser John Bolton criticized the choice. "The only place better for Putin than Alaska would be Moscow. The initial setup is a major victory for him."
The meeting was agreed upon last week, following a visit to Moscow by Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff. The content of the proposal from Putin remains unclear, which has dissatisfied some European leaders.
Tête-à-tête meeting
While this practice isn't unusual, it has drawn attention due to the controversial relationship between Trump and Putin and the precedents from the American leader's first term, when some high-ranking officials were not briefed on the content of the discussions.
Before the summit, Putin spoke on the phone with several of his allies, including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who met with Trump three times during his first term.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
