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Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Putin pays tribute to Soviet pilots buried on American land; Alaska visit recalls WWII ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin paid his respects as he knelt and laid flowers at the graves of Soviet pilots buried in Alaska, following his historic meeting with his American counterpart Donald Trump. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On Saturday, he visited Fort Richardson National Cemetery near Anchorage, where a dedicated section honours Soviet airmen who died in Alaska during World War II. The white headstones, inscribed with the names and ranks of each pilot, commemorate those who lost their lives while training or ferrying US-made aircraft to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease Program, Fox Live News reported. During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union fought as allies against Nazi Germany. Under the Lend-Lease Program, the US supplied the Soviets with nearly 8,000 aircraft and other war materials. Some Soviet pilots lost their lives during training or in transit due to accidents or harsh weather conditions. Initially buried in Fairbanks and Nome, their remains were reinterred in 1946 at Fort Richardson by order of the US administration of the Alaska National Cemetery. For decades, the Soviet pilots' resting place remained undocumented in official Russian records. In 1990, a delegation from the Soviet Committee of War Veterans confirmed the site's history. In 2011, then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev awarded Virginia Walker, the cemetery's director, for her role in preserving the graves and ensuring their upkeep. The site remains in pristine condition, with each headstone inscribed in English and Russian. Trump and Putin's meeting in Alaska has a significant geopolitical connotation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The territory was part of Russian land until 1867, when the United States purchased it for $7.2 million in what was then dismissed as "Seward's Folly." The military base hosting the summit, Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, is a hub for US Arctic defense. Today, Alaska is separated from Russia by only a few miles across the Bering Strait, making it a natural point for discussions on regional security, Arctic resources, and shipping routes.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Putin lays flowers for Soviet pilots buried in Alaska after Trump summit; here's why they are buried there
Russian President Vladimir Putin laid flowers at the graves of Soviet pilots buried in Alaska after concluding his summit with US President Donald Trump. Putin visited Fort Richardson National Cemetery near Anchorage on Saturday, where a section is dedicated to Soviet airmen who lost their lives in Alaska during the war. According to Reuters, the pilots died in training accidents or harsh weather conditions while ferrying US-built aircraft to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease Programme. During the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies against Nazi Germany. Under the Lend-Lease Programme, Washington supplied Moscow with nearly 8,000 aircraft. Between 1942 and 1945, Soviet pilots trained alongside American crews in Fairbanks, Alaska, before flying the planes across the Bering Strait to Siberia. The route, known as the Alaska-Siberia air road, was vital for delivering planes to the Eastern Front. Some pilots, however, died in crashes or due to extreme weather. Initially buried in Fairbanks and Nome, their remains were reinterred at Fort Richardson in 1946 by order of the US administration of the Alaska National Cemetery. For decades, the existence of the cemetery went largely unrecorded in Russian archives. In 1990, a delegation from the Soviet Committee of War Veterans confirmed the site's history. In 2011, then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev awarded Virginia Walker, the cemetery's director, for her role in maintaining the graves, which remain preserved with inscriptions in both English and Russian. Putin's visit came shortly after his one-on-one and expanded meetings with Trump at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which lasted nearly three hours. While the summit did not produce a ceasefire deal in the Ukraine war, Trump said the next steps involve further discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other NATO leaders. (With inputs from Reuters, LiveNOW from Fox)
