Anchorage (USA) – The security effort at the mega-summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is enormous – even if the city of Anchorage, with its 300,000 inhabitants, hadn't been particularly noticeable in the hours leading up to it. Explosive: The respective nuclear briefcases of the USA and Russia are kept near the presidents at all times during the summit.

The suitcases are portable code portals for the world's two largest nuclear weapons arsenals – now both are in one place.

▶︎ In the US, the suitcase is called"Nuclear Football." It contains emergency plans and highly confidential documents that allow the president to command the military command at the Pentagon—including the use of nuclear weapons.

▶︎ Putin has a nuclear briefcase called"Cheget" (named after Mount Cheget in the Caucasus) at his disposal at all times. Since its development, the nuclear briefcase has been at the disposal of the Russian head of state, the defense minister, and the chief of the general staff.

Alaska in the world's spotlight

The highest security standards also apply to the presidents personally in Anchorage.

► On the one hand: US President Donald Trump (79), against whom there were two assassination attempts last year.

► On the other side: Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin (72), who has his own protection needs. And against whom an arrest warrant for alleged"war crimes" has been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This was one of the main reasons why, following the US President's announcement of the Putin meeting"in the great state of Alaska," Team Trump had been searching intensively for a suitable location. They only had a week to spare. Ultimately, only the gigantic Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, with 32,000 troops stationed on the northern edge of Anchorage, offered the necessary infrastructure—including the high security requirements.

The location is particularly piquant for the guest from Moscow: F-22 Raptor fighter jets are stationed at the base, which, if necessary, can intercept Russian combat aircraft violating the border area. Even during the Soviet era, the air base served as a hub during the Cold War. Only the narrow Bering Strait separates the two major nations.

This is how hermetically sealed the meeting place between Trump and Putin is

From the outside, the day before the summit, the scene was still routine: soldiers checked IDs, warning signs hung on an iron fence near the entrance gate. A heavy military transporter took off with a thunderous roar. Media representatives were pushed back several hundred meters. Trump's team, as BILD learned, was still frantically working on the final touches to the complex logistics.

"The personnel are experienced in hermetically sealing off sensitive areas," David Nahom, who previously served as a U.S. Air Force commander at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Base, told the news platform"Defense One." He explained that the focus is on espionage and potential cyberattacks.

▶︎ A complete lockdown of the massive base is expected. Electronic jamming systems are in place. Soldiers are guarding the perimeter. Security protocols are being coordinated with Trump's Secret Service security force.

Former commander Nahom also claims that the type of aircraft Putin would fly in was"subject to consultation." Special permission to enter US airspace had to be granted. Officials from the White House, the Pentagon, and the Alaska base itself remained silent.