The upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday, will take place at a military base that historically protected the U.S. from the Soviet Union during the Cold War—and continues to defend against Russian threats today.
The Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force and Army base, near Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, was created by merging Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson. During the Cold War, the base monitored and deterred Soviet military activity and potential nuclear attacks, earning it the nickname “The Best Cover of North America.”
Today, aircraft from the base regularly intercept Russian planes entering U.S. airspace. Its mission includes supporting U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific region and worldwide, providing deployable units for rapid response as directed by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM).
The summit is expected to focus on a potential agreement to end the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February 2022.
Earlier today, several EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held an online meeting with Trump, as they were not invited to the Alaska summit.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the talks as “constructive.”
- French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that Trump aims to reach a ceasefire agreement with Putin.
