On Friday, the world’s eyes will lock on Alaska as Russian President Vladimir Putin steps onto U.S. soil for a rare and high-stakes summit with former President Donald Trump.
But this isn’t just another political meeting. It’s happening with war still raging in Ukraine… and while Putin remains wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.
That arrest warrant — issued in 2023 — accuses Putin of abducting and trafficking Ukrainian children. Which leads to the question everyone’s asking: Can he be arrested the moment he lands in America?
Military expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon says the answer is complicated. The United States, like Russia and China, is not bound by the ICC treaty. “He can go to Alaska. That is the loophole,” de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun. “He wouldn’t go anywhere he could be arrested.”
The choice of Alaska is no accident. Strategically placed just a few miles of water from Russian territory, it offers Putin a route almost entirely within friendly or international airspace — a major security obsession of his.
There’s history, too: Alaska was once part of the Russian Empire before being sold to the U.S. in 1867. For Putin, the optics of meeting Trump in a place with Russian roots are not lost.
Rumors swirled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky might join the talks, but the Kremlin shut that down fast. Without Zelensky, many wonder whether Ukraine’s voice will be heard at all in the negotiations.
Some U.S. officials hint the summit could be a diplomatic victory for Putin, while Trump allies see it as a chance to flex American influence and test Putin’s willingness to deal.
One thing is certain: Alaska’s governor calls the state “the most strategic location in the world,” and this Friday, it will be the stage for one of the most politically loaded arrivals in recent history.
Whether this meeting leads to peace talks or just another round of political posturing… the moment Putin’s plane touches down, the risk — and the stakes — will be sky-high.