Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is considered the ideal location in Alaska to host the Trump-Putin summit because of its high level of security.
Yuri Ushakov, Russian presidential foreign policy adviser, announced on August 14 that the summit between President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump will take place at a facility at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. The two leaders will meet one-on-one, with only interpreters present.

The two countries’ choice of a military base as the venue for the first summit between the two leaders in many years immediately attracted public attention. Observers said that this choice contained many messages from both sides.

Fighter jets on the runway of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in May 2017. Photo: ADN

The base was created in 2010 from the merger of Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson. It is strategically important because it is the closest point between Alaska and Russia, just 3 miles apart. For much of the Cold War, US forces stationed at the base were tasked with monitoring and deterring the Soviet Union.

In 1957, at the height of the Cold War, Elmendorf was home to 200 fighter jets, as well as numerous air traffic control systems and early warning radars to detect unusual Soviet military activity and any possible nuclear launches. This role earned it the nickname “North American Sky Shield.”

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is now home to key aircraft squadrons, including the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. Fighter jets have been flying from here to intercept Russian planes approaching US airspace.

The US Department of Defense describes the area as having “majestic, scenic snow-capped mountains, lakes, glaciers and a rich variety of wildlife”. The base is home to more than 32,000 military personnel and their families, accounting for nearly 10% of Anchorage’s population.

However, beyond the scenic factor, according to Benjamin Jensen, a senior defense and security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), based in Washington, the two leaders meeting at a US military base will help them avoid any protests and meet strict security requirements.

“For President Trump, this is a great way for him to demonstrate US military power while preventing the public or anyone else from interfering in the dialogue,” Jensen commented.

The location could help President Trump build a relationship with his Russian counterpart while also “showing strength to try to gain a negotiating advantage that could lead to a second meeting,” he added.

Several White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the location met all the requirements to host the two leaders. On the other hand, with Alaska entering its peak summer tourist season, other options with the logistical and security capabilities to host a last-minute meeting are limited.

According to some former US Air Force officials, with the security measures in place, Elmendorf-Richardson is an ideal place to host the event. David Nahom, former commander of the NORAD Alaska Region, Alaska Command and the 11th Air Force Wing, said that not only Elmendorf-Richardson, but all US military bases have always followed strict security procedures to help prevent potential espionage.

Elmendorf-Richardson has hosted many visiting leaders and this experience is believed to help them organize the upcoming summit more smoothly.

For President Putin, the upcoming summit is a gateway for him to return to the international diplomatic stage and the fact that it is taking place is a testament to this. “The Kremlin can now declare that Russia has returned to the global political roundtable,” commented BBC commentators Anthony Zurcher and Steve Rosenberg.

“The so-called isolation no longer means anything to Russia,” Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper emphasized earlier this week.

On the other hand, for Russia, Alaska is clearly an ideal location for the meeting as it brings many advantages to the Kremlin. In terms of security, at its closest point, the Alaskan mainland is only 90 km from Russia’s Chukotka region. Mr. Putin can reach the meeting point without having to fly over “enemy” countries.

Second, it is very far from Ukraine and Europe. This fits with the Kremlin’s determination to sideline Kiev and EU leaders in order to work directly with Washington.

Alaska also has historical significance. “Alaska is a clear example of how state boundaries can change and large territories can be transferred,” wrote Moskovsky Komsomolets.

Alaska has deep ties to Russian history and culture, dating back to when the Russian Empire first discovered the land in the 18th century. Tsar Alexander II sold it to the United States for $7.2 million in 1867.

Alaska later became a US state, but Russian-speaking communities still exist. Russian Orthodox churches are spread across the archipelago