Trump is set to welcome Putin in a place that once held power for Russia. Here’s a rundown of what else you should be aware of leading up to the Alaska summit!

When US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska this Friday, it’ll mark yet another chapter in the long and complex relationship between the 49th state and Russia, especially amid rising international tensions. Back in the early 18th century, Siberian fur traders made their way across the Bering Sea, leaving a lasting mark on Alaska. The oldest building in Anchorage is a Russian Orthodox church, and many Alaska Natives carry Russian surnames to this day. The proximity of the two nations is striking—Alaska's Little Diomede Island is less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Russia's Big Diomede. Former Governor Sarah Palin famously noted during the 2008 presidential race, "You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska," a comment that sparked plenty of jokes about her foreign policy credentials. Since becoming a US territory in 1867, Alaska has witnessed significant historical events, including the only World War II battle fought on North American soil, a focal point during the Cold War, and various meetings between US and global leaders. Let’s take a closer look at Alaska's history with Russia and its role on the international stage: The fur traders set up shop in places like Sitka and Kodiak Island. Interestingly, the Russian population in Alaska never exceeded around 400 permanent settlers, according to the Office of the Historian of the US State Department. However, the Russian settlers had a dark side, as they forced Alaska Natives to hunt sea otters and other marine mammals for their pelts, as noted by Ian Hartman, a history professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage. "It was clear from the start that the Russians were not interested in a long-term settlement; their focus was primarily on short-term extraction," Hartman explained. At the same time, Russian Orthodox missionaries were busy baptizing an estimated 18,000 Alaska Natives. By 1867, otters were nearly hunted to extinction, and Russia was feeling the financial strain from the Crimean War. Czar Alexander II decided to sell Alaska to the US for a mere $7.2 million, fully aware that Russia wouldn’t be able to defend its interests there if the US or Great Britain ever tried to take it. Critics dubbed the deal "Seward's Folly," named after US Secretary of State William H. Seward. However, that perception shifted dramatically when gold was discovered in the Klondike in 1896. By the 20th century, the US began to recognize Alaska's strategic significance. During World War II, the island of Attu—located at the far western end of the Aleutian chain and closer to Russia than to the North American mainland—was seized by Japanese forces. The campaign to reclaim it in 1943 became known as the war's "forgotten battle." Throughout the Cold War, military officials were concerned that the Soviets might launch an attack through Alaska, potentially flying over the North Pole to drop nuclear bombs. In response, they established a network of radar systems linked to an anti-aircraft missile defense. The military played a significant role in building much of Alaska's infrastructure, including roads and some communities. Their experience with construction on permafrost later helped private companies that drilled for oil and built the trans-Alaska pipeline. Last year, the Pentagon emphasized the need for the US to invest more in upgrading sensors, communications, and space-based technologies in the Arctic to keep up with China and Russia. They even deployed around 130 soldiers to a remote Aleutian island as Russian military planes and vessels began approaching US territory more frequently. Putin will be the first Russian leader to visit Alaska, but he’s not the only notable figure to have made the trip. In 1971, Japanese Emperor Hirohito stopped in Anchorage on his way to Europe to meet President Richard Nixon. Then in 1984, thousands gathered to witness President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II meet at the airport in Fairbanks. President Barack Obama made history in 2015 by becoming the first sitting US president to visit north of the Arctic Circle, highlighting the urgent issues surrounding climate change during his trip. In 2017, Governor Bill Walker greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Anchorage airport and then showed him around the largest city in Alaska. Fast forward four years, and Anchorage became the backdrop for a much tenser encounter, as high-ranking officials from the US and China engaged in two days of heated discussions—their first in-person meeting since President Joe Biden took office just two months prior. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Alaskan sentiments toward Russia have shifted significantly. The Anchorage Assembly made a unanimous decision to end its long-standing sister city relationship with Magadan, Russia, while the Juneau Assembly reached out to Vladivostok, expressing their concerns. The group Stand Up Alaska has organized rallies against Putin on Thursday and Friday. Dimitry Shein, who made an unsuccessful bid for Alaska's sole seat in the US House in 2018, fled the Soviet Union for Anchorage with his mother in the early '90s. He voiced his disappointment over Trump's increasingly authoritarian tendencies. "Russia and the US are just starting to look more and more alike," he remarked. Many analysts believe that hosting the summit in Alaska could send a troubling symbolic message. "It's easy to picture Putin arguing in his meetings with Trump that, 'Look, territories can change hands,'" noted Nigel Gould-Davies, a former British Ambassador to Belarus and a senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. "'We gave you Alaska. Why can't Ukraine give us a part of its territory?'"

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