The White House has opted for a military base in Anchorage as the venue due to security reasons, sources have told CNN
This week’s summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, will take place at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska, CNN has reported, citing White House officials.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday that the two leaders will meet in Alaska’s largest city on Friday to discuss the Ukraine conflict and bilateral issues, but declined to name the exact venue of the summit.
CNN reported several hours later that Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson has been chosen as the location as it meets the security requirements for the high-profile meeting.
The Trump administration “hoped to avoid the optics of hosting the Russian leader and his entourage on a US military installation,” but could not find a better site due to summer being the peak of the tourist season in Alaska, sources told the broadcaster.
Trump earlier described the Alaska summit as a “feel-out meeting” that will help him determine whether the Ukraine conflict can be settled. He also stressed that he sees great potential for trade with Russia, which “has a very valuable piece of land” as well as “tremendous potential… to do well.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday that Moscow views the meeting as a chance to mend strained relations with Washington and tackle long-running disputes. The hope is that it will “give an impulse to the normalization of bilateral relations” and help the two nations “move forward” on several issues, he said.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was formed in 2010 as a result of the merger of the US Air Force’s Elmendorf base and the US Army’s Fort Richardson. Located on the northern edge of Anchorage, it currently hosts 5,000 military personnel and civilians, covering an area of 339 sq. km.
