
Trump-Putin Meeting: Alaska Minerals Update Issued by Russian Lawmaker
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A senior Russian lawmaker said Russian corporations could be interested in developing rare earth metals in Alaska just a few days before the face-to-face meeting between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Viktor Vodolatsky amplified reporting that U.S. officials had discussed economic incentives intended to encourage a Russian halt to the war in Ukraine, and suggested that "it would be interesting for our large companies and corporations" to work in Alaska.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump and Putin are slated to meet in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. The high-stakes meeting comes three-and-a-half years into Russia's war with Ukraine, which Trump pledged to end on his first day back in office.
Trump has warned that if Russia doesn't come to the table to end the fighting, it will face serious consequences, likely economic. In recent months, the Trump administration has lauded various peace agreements and negotiations during Trump's first six months.
What To Know
Vodolatsky, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on CIS affairs, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots, said in an interview with Russian news agency Tass that it "would be interesting for our large companies and corporations to work on the lands of Alaska, developing the natural resources that exist there, or jointly creating companies for the development and extraction of minerals with the Americans."
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Trump and Putin would focus on options for achieving a long-term peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis during their meeting in Anchorage.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs the White House on August 1, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs the White House on August 1, 2025.
Getty Images
The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is exploring the economic trade-offs the United States can make with Russia in order to facilitate a ceasefire and peace agreement.
These include giving Putin access to the rare earth minerals in the Ukrainian territories Moscow partially occupies, as well as opportunities to tap into the natural resources in the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia's eastern coast.
There has been no confirmation from the White House or Alaskan officials that such a proposal is on the table.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday: "We're going to see what happens with our meeting. We have a big meeting. It's going to be very important for Russia and very important for us. And important to us since we're trying to save a lot of lives... As far as rare earth, that's very unimportant. I'm trying to save lives."
What Happens Next
The leaders are scheduled to meet in Anchorage today in a session that Russian officials described as focusing on a long-term settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and that U.S. officials described as a preliminary, "listening" meeting.
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