All eyes are turning to Alaska, where Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will have a one-on-one summit centered on Ukraine.
The US and Russian leaders will come face-to-face at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in the state’s largest city, Anchorage.
With the high-profile meeting on Friday, August 15 the main details have been revealed, including the exact location.
It is Alaska’s biggest military base and spans 64,000 acres at the northern end of the city.
What is Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson?
Surrounded by mountains, glaciers and frigid lakes, the remote installation is home to American fighter jets that historically intercepted Russian aircraft.
The base dates back to the Cold War era and was constructed in the 1940s as an air defence and central command center to fend off Soviet opponents.
In the 1950s, the base held more than 200 fighter jets and was dubbed ‘Top Cover for North America’ as its mission was to track and monitor threats from enemies overseas.
It was formed in 2010 with the merger of the US Air Force’s Elmendorf Air Force Base and the US Army’s Fort Richardson.
More than 32,000 people reside at the base today, making up about 10% of Anchorage’s population.
How secure is the base?
White House officials have said that the installation meets safety requirements for welcoming Trump and Putin.
Summit planners found Anchorage to be the most suited, after also considering the state capital of Juneau and the city of Fairbanks, according to CNN. They reportedly decided that Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was the only site in Anchorage that fulfills security requirements.
Officials with the base and White House have declined to disclose specifics around securing the site for the historic meeting.
A commander retired from the base last year said the discussion is unlikely to unfold close to area used for sensitive military operations.
‘We always had visitors on base from different countries, and obviously not necessarily a Russian citizen on base, but we’re always very mindful of that,’ David Nahom, who led the Alaskan NORAD region, Alaskan Command and 11th Air Force, told Defense One on Wednesday.
‘My guess is these conversations are not going to happen in areas that are required for the mission or would have any security concerns.’
Trump went to Elmendorf-Richardson numerous times during his first term, and in his initial trip in 2019 said that troops stationed there ‘serve in our country’s last frontier as America’s first line of defence’.
What time is the summit and what to expect?
The summit will begin at 11.30am local time (19.30 GMT) with a one-on-one discussion between the world leaders with interpreters assisting, then continue with a business lunch. The presidents are set to hold a joint press conference afterward.
Trump has expressed optimism on what can be accomplished toward ending the war in Ukraine.
‘I believe now (Putin)’s convinced that he’s going to make a deal,’ Trump told Fox News Radio on Thursday.
‘He’s going to make a deal. We’re going to find out – I’m going to know very quickly.’
Trump hinted at the deal possibly involving ‘give and take’ on land and boundaries between Russia and Ukraine.
The US president is reportedly planning to offer Putin access to Ukrainian and American rare earth minerals and lifting sanctions on Russia as part of a ceasefire deal.
Putin on Thursday praised the White House for their work ahead of the summit.
‘The current American administration… is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict,’ he stated.
Putin added that the summit ‘create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, as well as in Europe, and in the world as a whole’.
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