Sources have informed CNN that the White House selected a military installation in Anchorage as the location, citing security concerns.
The scheduled summit this week between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, is set to occur at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska, according to reports from CNN that cite White House officials.
On Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt affirmed that the two leaders would convene in Alaska’s most populous city on Friday to address the Ukraine conflict and other bilateral matters, yet she refrained from disclosing the precise summit location.
Hours subsequent to this, CNN disclosed that Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was selected as the site, as it fulfills the necessary security prerequisites for such a prominent gathering.
Sources conveyed to the broadcaster that the Trump administration “intended to circumvent the appearance of hosting the Russian leader and his delegation on a US military facility,” but was unable to secure a more suitable venue given that summer marks Alaska’s busiest tourist period.
Earlier, Trump characterized the Alaska summit as a “feel-out meeting,” intended to assist him in assessing the potential for resolving the Ukraine conflict. He additionally emphasized his perception of significant trade opportunities with Russia, which he noted “has a very valuable piece of land” and “tremendous potential… to do well.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated on Tuesday that Moscow regards the upcoming meeting as an opportunity to repair strained relations with Washington and address persistent disagreements. He expressed optimism that it would “give an impulse to the normalization of bilateral relations” and facilitate the two nations’ ability to “move forward” on various matters.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was established in 2010 through the consolidation of the US Air Force’s Elmendorf base and the US Army’s Fort Richardson. Situated on the northern periphery of Anchorage, it presently accommodates 5,000 military members and civilians, encompassing an expanse of 339 square kilometers.