I reckon by now we would have heard what city was planned. Alaska is big - yet city-wise, there is Anchorage and Nome more or less on the coast and Fairbanks in the interior. I assume each President will have a security detail and the press will (would like?) to get there too. So it could be some hut in the wilderness, otherwise one might think that the Secret Service and FSB (?) for Putin would have been spotted scoping things out. Or leaks.
I’ve been quite a bit skeptical about Alaska. What’s in it for Trump? He’s won the state three times. What’s in it for Putin - other than the reminder that it was sold to the USA for chump change in the Andrew Johnson administration.
Today Trump blurted out “I’m going to Russia on Friday”. Now this gives Putin plenty to get. Trump could admire the Sevastopol Naval Base or set foot on once ruined but now getting better Mariupol (a kind of beach-side “resort” - it was about as good as Ukraine had) that was destroyed by Russia yet I reckon by now parts look really nice. And they can perhaps use a Trump Hotel.
There is zero possibility Trump can get any of the Sea of Azov coastal areas returned to Ukraine. Yet he’ll say he will ask nicely and not argue when the answer is “Nyet”.
They just want to divvy up the territory and mineral rights (IMO). The can do that in Alaska, sure. Or they can do it in Ukraine (or what was Ukraine).
Feel free to post. And if tomorrow it’s announced the place is Anchorage and Putin’s all on-board, then disregard this.
Yes - somewhere in Alaska
No - somewhere near Crimea or in occupied territory
It’s probably too late for me to add that, or any number of Zelensky options.
The divvy’ing of land and mineral rights have been done already. There won’t be any land-swapping. Snowy hut in Alaska or standing in front of a church facade in Mariupol are gigantic press ops. They will meet somewhere. And Zelensky will not be invited.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they meet in Sitka, AK. It was the site for the transfer ceremony for the Alaska deal in 1867. And if I remember correctly it was the capital of Russian-America. It is also only accessible by boat or airplane. Maybe that gives it some added security.
Leavitt hinted that Trump could visit Russia soon, saying “perhaps there are plans”, after Trump appeared to misspeak yesterday and say he was traveling to Russia
It’s clearly a security issue if the War President is going to any Russian Territory, esp. the “primary real estate” along the Ocean-Sea of Azov. Yet nobody with a gun is going to get near Putin, and the Secret Service have made sure you only get one clean shot on Trump, who knows all about ocean front property being more valuable than - pretty much anywhere in Alaska that’s not a gold mine.
C’mon Putin, build Trump a hill to stand on right next to the Oceanfront of the Azov Sea. He’ll give a speech so inspiring Ukrainians will lay their arms down and give in to their Russian Superiors.
It will likely be in Anchorage at the Elmendorf Air Force Base. The other option would be Fairbanks at Eielson AFB. These are the only two places where security will be tight enough for the Secret Service, and it avoids having to land at a commercial airport.
Never happen.
Logistics and security are too big a problem, plus it’s a long 110 mile drive to there from Fairbanks and nearly 250 miles from Anchorage.
Also, Trump has been there several times, appearing at Elmendorf.
As long as trump gets to wear his 5XL Master of War jacket, he’ll be good. Sincere lament for the Ukrainians and how hard he fought his rival for some of that prime property back, and praise and respect for Putin’s steadfastness in firmly saying “Nyet!”
I just don’t see the upside for Putin going to some Alaskan Air Force base for this praise. Trump will gladly give the same speech on the beaches of occupied Ukraine,
If they’re going to Alaska - at least about where? No reporters are asking as they’ve been told not to else you won’t be going on AF1 to where we really are going.
Ha! It was my first poll, and the meeting not happening ought to have been third, and them going to the wrong places could have been fourth. Or is this part of the land swap?
The Russians doing a massive land-grab, especially in Donbas could have easily been predicted before Trump declares Peace and gets his Nobel. Putin knows good real estate and didn’t read any of DJT’s ghost-written books.
Traditionally, there’s a difference between being the person who goes to a place and being the person who is received in a place. If Putin comes to America, he’s more at risk of being snatched and thrown in an underground dungeon than if he was to stay on his own territory. Likewise, if Trump goes to Russia, then his ability to return is more questionable. Often, leaders will meet on neutral ground. Going to another’s territory is - depending on the circumstance - an act of subservience.
So either Putin is coming to Alaska or Trump is going to Chukotka is a fairly big deal.
Dunno about the subservience angle, yet this kind of summit would, IMO, fall under the rules of a parley. And kidnapping the other guy would certainly be grounds, if not an outright act of war. Even the most Russian-hating,USA-hating dude at the Hague would have a problem with it.
Dunno about Zelensky. Meh, what does the international court say?
Okay, well I was waiting today to hear it would be Anchorage or some old snowy hut (they can make the snow) place. Yet my tin-foil theory has not been dispelled. If this was going to happen in Alaska, a region if not a city close to an airport, could have been announced.
It must be a security reason, and there’s not many drones or hyper-sonic missiles in Alaska.
I reckon Sevastopol has the best airport for a fat-ass AF1, and Trump can at least marvel at a Naval port. It would take some cahones for he and Putin to chopper (NE across Crimea) to Russian occupied beaches. Yet trumps inevitable praise for Putin will be worth 10x as much in Mariupol than some hut or whatever hotel they find in Anchorage. And yeah, sorry Zelensky. I fought the law and the law won.
If Zelenskyy wants to shoot the both of them, well, as a foreign head of state we couldn’t prosecute him, so I guess we’d have no choice but to send him home. Probably without supper.
If Zelensky has the ability to blow Putin and Trump up (I thought they were in Alaska?), Putin is certainly a valid target. No Hague in the world would call that a war crime. Trump is collateral damage.
I reckon they’re better off in a snowy hut in an undisclosed location. This summit requires good optics and photo ops no matter where it occurs.
Oh well, BBC at least says the meeting will be in :
We still don’t have all the details about the Alaska talks, but we did learn they will take place in Anchorage, the US state’s largest city
I yield to all who said it’d be Alaska, especially to those who said it’d be in Anchorage.
Boring. No optics. Just two guys standing in front of their flags complimenting the other. Russia is clearly not done land-grabbing and whatever is signed on Friday won’t stop them. Yet it probably does allow the USA to start open-pit mining for minerals.
Poll over. Putin wins Alaska with a disappointing 86%.
CNN reported today that Trump said this is a listening summit. I interpret that to mean that Trump is backing off from his boast about ending the war. Remember that before the election, he claimed that he would end the war his first day in office, although he has been in office for roughly six months and the war rages on.