The summit is being hosted at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson-- Alaska's largest military base-- that combines the Air Force's Elmendorf base with the US Army's Fort Richardson.

Washington:US President Donald Trump and  Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will meet face-to-face for the first time in seven years on Friday for talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The Russian President will fly to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, for the much-anticipated US-Russia summit, scheduled to take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

The choice to host the meet in Alaska is not an accident.

The westernmost US state's complex history and strategic location have close geographic and cultural links to Russia. Its strategic and symbolic position in the US and Russia's past stretches back centuries. 

A Russian colony since the 18th century, Alaska was sold to the United States for $7.2 million in 1867 by Tsar Alexander II.

It is now a symbol of the entwined history of the countries, whose relations have been severely damaged since Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine in 2022.

Source:Ndtv