The event will mark the first
How the venue for the Alaska summit was chosen
Selecting a host site for the summit proved far more difficult than usual for a meeting of this scale. August is peak tourist season in Alaska, which left many of the state’s larger hotels, convention spaces, and event venues fully booked.
In addition, the security requirements for hosting a US-Russia summit are
Officials examined possibilities in Alaska’s capital, Juneau, as well as Fairbanks and Anchorage.
However, most civilian locations, including several large Anchorage facilities, either lacked the capacity to be sealed off from the public or could not meet the necessary technical and security specifications.
When news of the planned meeting began
These offers, while well-meaning, did not meet the required standards for accreditation systems, layered physical security, and dedicated press and support areas.
By early this week, organisers concluded that Anchorage — Alaska’s largest city and a key transport hub — was the only city capable of hosting the event.
Within Anchorage, only Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson met every
Despite initial reservations in the White House about the optics of holding the meeting on a US military installation, the site’s readiness and capabilities left no other feasible choice.
Why Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson fits the bill
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) is a combined installation of the US Air Force’s Elmendorf Air Force Base and the US Army’s Fort Richardson.
Situated on the northern edge of Anchorage, it is the largest military base in Alaska and home to more than 32,000 people —
The base is home to the 3rd Wing of the Pacific Air Forces and houses advanced aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor, described by the US Air Force as unmatched by any known or projected fighter.
It also hosts the headquarters of Alaskan Command (ALCOM), the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region, and the Eleventh Air Force.
For the summit, JBER offers controlled airspace, fortified meeting areas, and the ability to secure perimeter access points.
The installation has dedicated space for motorcade staging, press operations, and delegation management — all critical for a meeting involving two major world powers.
The base’s location carries historic significance as well. The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867, and the two nations remain geographically close.
Alaska’s Little Diomede Island lies less than three miles from Russia’s Big Diomede Island across the Bering Strait.
During the Cold War, Elmendorf was
Despite this proximity, Putin will be the first Russian president to set foot in Anchorage.
Behind the location decision: from Europe to Alaska
The decision to hold the summit in Alaska followed extensive discussions between Washington and Moscow. International political realities played a key role in narrowing the list of options.
Since the
Russia ruled out European destinations and proposed alternative options, including the United Arab Emirates. Putin himself reportedly described the UAE as “entirely suitable” for the talks.
However, US officials were reluctant to arrange another long-distance trip to West Asia so soon after Trump’s
Other possibilities included Hungary, whose Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has maintained strong ties with both Trump and Putin. In the end, the choice came down to hosting the meeting either in Hungary or the United States, sources told CNN.
American officials were reportedly both pleased and somewhat surprised when Putin agreed to travel to US soil.
Trump publicly welcomed the decision, saying, “I thought it was very respectful that the president of Russia is coming to our country as opposed to us
Not everyone viewed the decision as a win for the US. Former national security adviser John Bolton remarked, “The only better place for Putin than Alaska would be if the summit were being held in Moscow. So, the initial setup, I think, is a great victory for Putin.”
What Elmendorf Air Force Base's history tells us
Construction of Elmendorf Field began on June 8, 1940, as the US sought to establish a permanent military airfield near Anchorage.
The
The installation’s name and operational structure changed several times in the following years: it became Elmendorf Army Air Base in June 1942 and later Elmendorf Air Force Base in March 1948.
The base’s runways were completed in January 1941, extended in 1945, and further upgraded with concrete aprons in 1957.
Following World War II, Elmendorf played an increasingly important role in North American defense as relations between the United States and the Soviet Union
In 2010, Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson were merged to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson as part of a nationwide base realignment initiative.
Over the decades, the base has hosted multiple US presidents. During his first term, Trump visited several times, as did Barack Obama and Joe Biden in their presidencies.
In 2015, Obama became the first US president to travel north of the Arctic Circle during his Alaska visit.
What will happen at the Alaska summit
Friday’s meeting is expected to include a one-on-one discussion between Trump and Putin, attended only by translators, in addition to larger-format talks with delegations.
The White House has described the event as a “listening session,” with Trump himself calling it a “feel-out” meeting.
“The president feels like, ‘look, I’ve got to look at this guy across the table. I need to see him face to face. I need to hear him one-on-one. I need to make an assessment by looking at him,’” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained in a Tuesday
Trump has had five known phone calls with Putin this year but has said that an in-person encounter is essential to assess the Russian leader’s intentions.
Ahead of the summit, Trump will take part in a virtual meeting with European leaders and Ukraine, arranged by Germany, to gather their perspectives.
People wearing head cut-outs depicting US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin jump during a protest at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany,
February 20, 2025. File Image/Reuters
He has also promised to speak with them again ahead of the talks, including a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy will not attend the Alaska meeting, ruling out a possible trilateral session.
The symbolism of meeting in Alaska is not lost on either side.
With inputs from agencies
