1. The talks will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest military installation and a Cold War-era surveillance hub.
2. Federal authorities have issued temporary flight restrictions between 9:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. local time on Friday, though commercial flights are expected to be largely unaffected.
3.Global attention now turns to Anchorage to see which version of Trump will face Putin.
US President Donald Trump declared “HIGH STAKES!” on his Truth Social account before boarding his flight to Alaska, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in what is being billed as a historic—and potentially decisive—summit for the future of the war in Ukraine.
The talks will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest military installation and a Cold War-era surveillance hub. The meeting marks Putin’s first visit to Western soil since ordering the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. Russian forces have made rapid battlefield gains in the run-up to the summit.
Anchorage is bracing for the event, with hotels fully booked and local cab services stretched thin, NDTV reported. Federal authorities have issued temporary flight restrictions between 9:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. local time on Friday, though commercial flights are expected to be largely unaffected.
The summit comes just hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech, in which he announced tax cuts, pledged sweeping policy reforms, and called for citizens to produce high-quality goods domestically in a push for self-reliance amid rising global protectionism.
India has a stake in the Alaska talks after Trump recently imposed a 50% tariff rate on the country—far higher than on regional peers—putting up to 1% of India’s GDP at risk, analysts warn. On Thursday, Trump suggested that India’s reduced Russian oil imports, prompted by the tariffs, may have nudged Moscow toward the negotiating table, signalling Washington’s continued intent to use economic leverage as part of its Russia strategy.
Any escalation in trade measures could deal a blow to India’s labour-intensive export sectors.
Global attention now turns to Anchorage to see which version of Trump will face Putin: the combative leader determined to pressure Moscow, or the dealmaker who has previously sought warmer ties with the Russian leader.