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Trump and Putin are set to meet Friday afternoon in Anchorage. Its mayor says the summit can ‘showcase the city'
The Alaskan city of Anchorage, surrounded by dramatic peaks, will provide the backdrop for the highly anticipated summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As all eyes will be on the southern-central city Friday afternoon as the two men are set to meet for a one-on-one meeting. A press conference could happen after, but it's unclear if both world leaders will be involved. The run-up to the summit sparked guesses about which world city would host the meeting, until Alaska was announced as host for the summit aimed at ending the war with Ukraine.
Now, Alaska officials say it's an opportunity for Anchorage to show the world just how important it is.
'Alaska is the crossroads of the world,' Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said this week. 'We are a strategic global location in so many ways. For our closeness to the Arctic, for our military presence, we have like 25,000 active duty personnel here in Alaska, for trade, for cargo, our cargo airport is one of the busiest in the world.'
'As far as what this means for Alaska, what it means for Anchorage, it's an opportunity to highlight our city, and to show the world how important we are,' LaFrance added.
Alaska's GOP Senator, Lisa Murkowski, said it was 'another opportunity for the Arctic to serve as a venue that brings together world leaders to forge meaningful agreements,' though added she was 'deeply wary of Putin and his regime.'
Anchorage is the Last Frontier state's 'biggest small town,' and with a population of around 300,000, and it is Alaska's most populous city, according to the National Park Service.
During the summer, residents experience about 19 hours of sunlight a day as the sun barely dips below the horizon. In the winter, when thick snow caps the mountains surrounding the city, it's only daylight for around 5 hours.
Presidents have met with world leaders and notable figures at the base in Anchorage in recent history, partly due to its convenient location to refuel.
Former President Ronald Reagan briefly stopped by the base in 1983 en route to Japan and Korea, where he praised the 'beauty of this wonderful land' and shared his 'admiration' of the state. Reagan visited Alaska the following year to meet with Pope John Paul II in the city of Fairbanks.
In 1971, former President Richard Nixon met with Japanese Emperor Hirohito in Anchorage, hailing him 'the first reigning monarch in Japan's long history to step on foreign soil.' The meeting was extremely brief, with the monarch touching down at 10 p.m. local time and departing for his final destination of Europe by 11.40 p.m., according to the Richard Nixon Foundation.
Former President Barack Obama also dropped by Anchorage in 2015 on a three-day trip to highlight the impacts of climate change in the region.
Anchorage's military base was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.
Throughout its long history, the base hosted large numbers of aircraft and oversaw operations of a variety of early warning radar sites that were aimed at detecting Soviet military activity and any possible nuclear launches. It earned the motto 'Top Cover for North America' at this time, according to the base website.
As preparations for the Anchorage summit continue, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the meeting will be a one-on-one between Trump and Putin, with translators present, and that 'sensitive matters' will be discussed.
Both leaders will take part in a news conference once the summit is concluded, he added, as well as wider talks with their delegations and a working breakfast.
Trump warned that Russia would face 'very severe consequences' if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire but hinted that a follow-up meeting could be swiftly arranged if Friday's summit proves a success.
