President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Friday at Anchorage’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Here are 12 things to know about the historic, and controversial, summit.
1. Where is the meeting taking place and when?
Anchorage’s military base: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
But the White House has, so far, released few other additional details, like at what time they’ll meet and how long they’ll be here.
2. Wait. Why are they meeting in Anchorage?
President Trump announced last Friday that they’d meet in Alaska. We’re not totally sure how they landed on the location.
Meetings like this often take months to plan, but this one came together in a week. CNN reported that scrambling organizers weighed other Alaska cities, too, and determined Anchorage was the only viable option. Within the city, only JBER met security requirements.
Also, Anchorage is about 4,300 miles from the Kremlin, and about 3,300 miles from the White House, so you could argue it’s sort of a midway point.
Otherwise, Alaska has a long and complicated history with Russia. Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 and, during the Cold War, the Anchorage base was key in countering the Soviet Union.
3. Do we know what they’re talking about?
Russia’s war with Ukraine.
This will be the first time Trump and Putin will meet face-to-face since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
But the White House has tamped down expectations of a breakthrough that might lead to a ceasefire. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the meeting will be a “listening exercise” for Trump.
“Only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present,” Leavitt said. “And so this is for the president to go and to get, again, a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end.”
4. Has Putin ever visited the U.S. before?
Several times. Most recently, in 2015, he was at the U.N. in New York for tense talks with then-President Obama over Ukraine and Syria. In 2001, he made a state visit, stopping in Washington, D.C., New York and Texas. In 2007, he visited then-President George W. Bush at the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. He’s also attended multiple international summits.
But this will be the first time Putin, or any Russian president, has visited Alaska.
5. But it's not uncommon for world leaders to stop at JBER, right?
Right. In its prior incarnation, Elmendorf Air Force Base hosted many visits from presidents and world leaders, often because it was a convenient refueling stop for flights between Washington, D.C., and Asia, or between Europe and Asia. President Nixon and Emperor Hirohito met at the base in 1971, the first time the reigning monarch of Japan set foot on foreign soil. The next year, on his way home after his historic trip to China, Nixon spent the night at the home of Elmendorf’s top general.
Most presidents since statehood have landed at Elmendorf and met with local dignitaries or made some kind of address, including former President Biden and Trump during his first term. President Obama went farther afield on his 2015 trip to Alaska, even visiting Snow City Cafe in downtown Anchorage where he took selfies with fans and ordered cinnamon rolls.
6. Aside from the meeting, do we know what else Trump and Putin are doing in Alaska?
So far, it looks like they are making a day trip of it. We’ve heard no plans for either of them to leave JBER.
7. Will there be any street closures or other traffic impacts I should know about?
Not that we know of…yet.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Shannon McCarthy with the Alaska Department of Transportation said there were no anticipated street closures and no known traffic impacts in the city. Any updates on Friday will be posted to 511.alaska.gov.
8. I’m flying in or out of Anchorage on Friday. How will this affect my flight?
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Temporary Flight Restriction over Anchorage airspace for Friday from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. This restriction mainly impacts all non-commercial flights out of Anchorage airports, including sites like Merrill Field and Lake Hood.
But most commercial flights shouldn’t see any major disruptions, said Lex Yelverton at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. She said some flights in and out of Ted Stevens on Friday may experience minor schedule changes or delays of anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. It’s likely that the airport won’t receive exact information on which flights will be affected until Friday, so Yelverton said anyone travelling should be prepared for delays and build some extra time into their schedules. She said commercial airlines will have the most up-to-date information about specific flights.
9. Anchorage School District students return to class Thursday and Friday. What’s the district doing to prepare?
In a message to students and families on Wednesday, ASD said school will go on as planned this week. The message said that schools around JBER, including the three public elementary schools on base, might experience “minor traffic disruptions, depending on how things play out once both presidents arrive.” In some areas of the city, there may be increased security or air activity, but ASD said they’re expecting any impacts to schools to be minimal.
10. What will security be like in the city?
Anchorage Police Department spokesman Chris Barraza said city police will have an increased presence around town, with additional officers on patrol starting late Thursday night. There will also be increased security on Friday at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, according to the airport spokesperson.
11. Do we expect a big influx of people in the city for the meeting?
Yes.
Barraza, at APD, estimated 700 journalists from all over the world will be arriving in Anchorage this week. As of Wednesday afternoon, he couldn’t provide an exact number for dignitaries or other visitors related to the summit. And, of course, there are already a lot of visitors here because it’s peak tourism season in Alaska.
12. Are there any protests or rallies planned?
Yes. There are protests and demonstrations planned all over the state in support of Ukraine and democracy, including in Homer, Fairbanks, Sitka and Petersburg.
In Anchorage, there are a few planned demonstrations: a peaceful protest in solidarity with Ukraine at 4:30 p.m. Thursday near the Midtown Mall, at the intersection of the Seward Highway and East Northern Lights Boulevard. Another protest is planned for noon on Friday on 510 L Street. Plus, Anchorage Stands with Ukraine plans to put up a massive Ukrainian flag on the Park Strip Friday afternoon.
The Alaska Republican Party is also planning a rally in support of Trump near the Midtown Mall on Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
