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US President Trump will be welcoming Putin to the far north on Friday. There are several reasons for this: Alaska and Siberia are only a few kilometers apart – and the symbolism is fitting. Alaska was once a Russian colony.

From Alaska, the world looks different in some respects: Russia is to the west, and it's a direct neighbor. The Russian coast is less than 90 kilometers away, and several smaller islands are even closer.

For thousands of years, indigenous peoples crossed the Bering Strait, hunting and fishing on both sides. They shared a common culture and language. This came to an abrupt halt when the Cold War between the then Soviet Union and the United States began. Starting in 1948, the border was closed for 40 years, and many families were torn apart.

With perestroika in the 1980s, that changed, and David Ramseur, who was working for the Alaska government at the time, sat on one of the first planes to fly Native people back to Siberia in 1988. Relatives were already waiting on the runway on the other side. It was a very moving moment, says Ramseur, who, like many in Alaska, discovered his love for Russia at that time.

Mixed feelings in Alaska

This close exchange ended with the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the latest. Many of the twin town relationships established over the past decades are now on hold. Putin's visit is therefore likely to trigger mixed feelings in Alaska.

The official website boasts:"For centuries, Alaska has been a bridge between nations," writes Governor Mike Dunleavy on Platform X,"and today we remain a gateway for diplomacy, trade, and security in one of the world's most critical regions."

In 1867 Russia sold the colony to the USA

Until almost 160 years ago, Alaska was part of the Russian Empire, the only overseas colony of the Tsars. They granted the specially founded Russian-American Company a license for the lucrative fur trade. However, the colony was remote and difficult to defend, especially against the British, who had colonies in the immediate vicinity in present-day Canada. Russian attempts to gain a foothold further south on the US Pacific coast and even in Hawaii also failed. In St. Petersburg, people felt that there wasn't much to be gained in Russian America.

At that time, the strategists of the Russian fleet agreed that the British could easily have captured the Russian outpost in Alaska with one or two warships, says Russian-Canadian historian Ilya Vinkovetsky. There were fewer than 1,000 Russians in Alaska at the time.

At the end of 1867, the Russian Empire sold Alaska to the Americans at a ridiculously low price – not least to annoy the British.

Oil and military

At that time, no one could have imagined how much money would later be made from oil in Alaska. There were never many Russians in Alaska, and they were only there for a few decades. Nevertheless, they left their mark.

To this day, Alaska has Russian Orthodox churches with active congregations, folklore groups, and restaurants serving Russian dishes.

Russia is close – and this sometimes feels dangerous for the people of Alaska, for example, when Russian military aircraft roar past nearby. The region is strategically important. Climate change is causing the ice up here to melt rapidly. This makes the seas around the North Pole more navigable for ships, increasing their economic and military importance.

It's already a big one: In May, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska stood next to Donald Trump in the Oval Office as he presented his grandiose vision of a massive new defense system for the United States. This"Golden Dome" could defend all of America, Sullivan said, and Alaska plays a key role in this with the ground-based missile interceptors and radar systems already stationed there.

Arrest warrant against Putin is not valid

There's a lot of military in Alaska. This also makes it easier to hold a high-security meeting here at short notice. There are only a few roads that can be easily closed off. There are very few people in general, making protests difficult.

For Putin, the visit to the US is a diplomatic success in itself, and Alaska is a symbolic location. The region is also well located; Putin doesn't have to fly over other countries, especially since there is an international arrest warrant, which, however, has no effect in the US because the US does not recognize the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

So Putin can get here safely and quickly—and if necessary, he'll be gone quickly, too. Let's see if the residents of Alaska even get to see him.