{"id":4929,"date":"2025-08-15T03:37:57","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T03:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/war-criminal-falling-from-the-sky-why-alaskans-arent-happy-to-host-putin\/"},"modified":"2025-08-15T03:37:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T03:37:57","slug":"war-criminal-falling-from-the-sky-why-alaskans-arent-happy-to-host-putin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/war-criminal-falling-from-the-sky-why-alaskans-arent-happy-to-host-putin\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018War criminal falling from the sky\u2019: Why Alaskans aren\u2019t happy to host Putin"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"Hy4HP DDAG1 Wf6Y9\" data-testid=\"body-content\" readability=\"32.59110787172\">\n<div class=\"kUHzD noPrint\">\n<div class=\"Zgwz6\" readability=\"5.5024390243902\">\n<div class=\"a6ShP WaJMq\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><button class=\"XsMHX j7Zux\" data-ffx-event-action=\"cta click\" data-ffx-event-category=\"component\" data-ffx-event-label=\"font size normal\" data-ffx-event-value=\"0\" data-ffx-hittype=\"event\">Normal text size<\/button><button class=\"GGU-4\" data-ffx-event-action=\"cta click\" data-ffx-event-category=\"component\" data-ffx-event-label=\"font size large\" data-ffx-event-value=\"0\" data-ffx-hittype=\"event\">Larger text size<\/button><button class=\"Jftp7\" data-ffx-event-action=\"cta click\" data-ffx-event-category=\"component\" data-ffx-event-label=\"font size extra large\" data-ffx-event-value=\"0\" data-ffx-hittype=\"event\">Very large text size<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Directly across the street from the civic centre in downtown Anchorage, where the world&rsquo;s media awaits Saturday&rsquo;s meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the homely Dark Horse cafe is doing a roaring trade.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, the door rarely stops opening. All the better for mum-and-daughter operators Karin and Jessica Johnson, who have an &ldquo;I Stand With Ukraine&rdquo; banner affixed to the cafe&rsquo;s patio.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Everyone knows where we stand,&rdquo; says Jessica, a third-generation born-and-raised Alaskan.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2ZLD6 U-JKO\" readability=\"2\"><picture class><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_1.0582%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/8f353fde0de81cd2d9cb2c54027440a27ec54d37, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/8f353fde0de81cd2d9cb2c54027440a27ec54d37 2x\" height=\"534\" width=\"800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/8f353fde0de81cd2d9cb2c54027440a27ec54d37, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/8f353fde0de81cd2d9cb2c54027440a27ec54d37 2x\" height=\"464\" width=\"696\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Karin and Jessica Johnson run the Dark Horse cafe in downtown Anchorage, where they proudly display their support for Ukraine.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.132,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/8f353fde0de81cd2d9cb2c54027440a27ec54d37\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/8f353fde0de81cd2d9cb2c54027440a27ec54d37, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/8f353fde0de81cd2d9cb2c54027440a27ec54d37 2x\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"jg6iR\" readability=\"4\">\n<p><span class>Karin and Jessica Johnson run the Dark Horse cafe in downtown Anchorage, where they proudly display their support for Ukraine.<\/span><cite class><span class=\"ag1eF\">Credit: <\/span>Michael Koziol<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a little disturbing,&rdquo; says mum Karin. &ldquo;I just don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s honourable to leave the people of Ukraine hanging, and to not have Ukraine involved in any discussions about peace.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"internal-linking-related-contents\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/12-weeks-jail-for-school-it-support-technician-who-took-upskirt-videos-of-teachers\/\" class=\"template-1\"><span class=\"cta\">News :<\/span><span class=\"postTitle\">&lt;div&gt;12 weeks' jail for school IT support technician who took upskirt videos of teachers&lt;\/div&gt;<\/span><\/a><\/div><p>Jessica says she doesn&rsquo;t know any locals who are excited about Russian President Vladimir Putin&rsquo;s visit. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t trust his intentions, and I just don&rsquo;t know how I feel about having a war criminal in my state.&rdquo; Karin notes the US has elected a convicted criminal, so perhaps it&rsquo;s not a surprise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"DleOj\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"adWrapper IMjKL noPrint\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"CtZLl\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Hy4HP DDAG1 Wf6Y9\" data-testid=\"body-content\" readability=\"37\">\n<p>The meeting is, arguably, the biggest thing to happen in this city of fewer than 300,000 people since the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964 &ndash; save perhaps Richard Nixon welcoming Japan&rsquo;s Emperor Hirohito to the US here in 1971.<\/p>\n<p>That event, the first time a reigning Japanese monarch set foot on foreign soil, was broadcast around the world, as Trump and Putin&rsquo;s encounter inevitably will be.<\/p>\n<p>But there is much more riding on this. At stake is the future of the Ukrainian people, and the world&rsquo;s tolerance for a Russian campaign of aggression that has appalled the global community for years. Now, the instigator of that war will come face-to-face with the man who believes he is uniquely positioned to end it &ndash; but has, so far, failed at the task.<\/p>\n<p>The one-day summit at Elmendorf Air Force Base is a massive logistical undertaking on short notice.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"L54G0 _5eU2M\" data-testid=\"pull-quote\" readability=\"7\">\n<p>&lsquo;I want Trump to look into Putin&rsquo;s eyes, see his soul and realise that he can&rsquo;t be negotiated with.&rsquo;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Julian Hayda, Razom for Ukraine<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Anchorage is groaning under the weight of the attention (on top of high-season tourism); hotels are full, hire cars are impossible to get, and flights to this isolated part of the world are more expensive than usual.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"DleOj\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"adWrapper IMjKL noPrint\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"CtZLl\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Hy4HP DDAG1 Wf6Y9\" data-testid=\"body-content\" readability=\"40\">\n<div class=\"internal-linking-related-contents\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/migrant-acquitted-in-first-trial-over-us-border-military-zones\/\" class=\"template-1\"><span class=\"cta\">News :<\/span><span class=\"postTitle\">Migrant acquitted in first trial over US border military zones<\/span><\/a><\/div><p>The US president is playing down expectations, describing the encounter as a means of gauging Putin&rsquo;s intent. &ldquo;This meeting sets up the second meeting. It&rsquo;s like a chess game,&rdquo; he said on Thursday (Friday AEST). The second meeting, involving Zelensky, would be where details of the &ldquo;give and take&rdquo; are thrashed out.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to use the word &lsquo;divvy things up&rsquo;, but to a certain extent it&rsquo;s not a bad term,&rdquo; Trump said. But there was a one-in-four chance the first meeting would fail, he said, in which case he has warned of &ldquo;severe consequences&rdquo;.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2ZLD6 U-JKO\" readability=\"1.5\"><picture class><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_1.0582%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/0c2cc0f49f4ae675ded0900e2bdc6877630f62e5, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/0c2cc0f49f4ae675ded0900e2bdc6877630f62e5 2x\" height=\"534\" width=\"800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/0c2cc0f49f4ae675ded0900e2bdc6877630f62e5, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/0c2cc0f49f4ae675ded0900e2bdc6877630f62e5 2x\" height=\"464\" width=\"696\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Members of the media assemble near the airbase entrance in Anchorage the day before the summit.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.378,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/0c2cc0f49f4ae675ded0900e2bdc6877630f62e5\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/0c2cc0f49f4ae675ded0900e2bdc6877630f62e5, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/0c2cc0f49f4ae675ded0900e2bdc6877630f62e5 2x\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"jg6iR\" readability=\"3\">\n<p><span class>Members of the media assemble near the airbase entrance in Anchorage the day before the summit.<\/span><cite class><span class=\"ag1eF\">Credit: <\/span>Bloomberg<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the Dark Horse, I meet Ostap Yarysh and Julian Hayda from the Ukrainian charity Razom [&ldquo;together&rdquo;] for Ukraine. They have been putting up signs around Anchorage and are heading to a number of protests planned for the coming 24 hours. While they are sceptical about the summit, they hope it may lead Trump to finally conclude Putin is not serious about ending the war, or that Trump might insist upon the return of an estimated 20,000 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.<\/p>\n<p>In 2001, George W. Bush famously said he looked Putin in the eye and &ldquo;was able to get a sense of his soul&rdquo;.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2ZLD6 U-JKO\" readability=\"2\"><picture class><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_1.0582%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/b3ed63eb5a1ae345817161d02d6e0b90ced7f874, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/b3ed63eb5a1ae345817161d02d6e0b90ced7f874 2x\" height=\"534\" width=\"800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/b3ed63eb5a1ae345817161d02d6e0b90ced7f874, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/b3ed63eb5a1ae345817161d02d6e0b90ced7f874 2x\" height=\"464\" width=\"696\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Julian Hayda (left) and&nbsp;Ostap Yarysh from the Ukrainian charity Razom for Ukraine, who are in Anchorage ahead of Trump and Putin&rsquo;s meeting.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.132,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/b3ed63eb5a1ae345817161d02d6e0b90ced7f874\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/b3ed63eb5a1ae345817161d02d6e0b90ced7f874, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/b3ed63eb5a1ae345817161d02d6e0b90ced7f874 2x\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"jg6iR\" readability=\"4\">\n<p><span class>Julian Hayda (left) and&nbsp;Ostap Yarysh from the Ukrainian charity Razom for Ukraine, who are in Anchorage ahead of Trump and Putin&rsquo;s meeting.<\/span><cite class><span class=\"ag1eF\">Credit: <\/span>Michael Koziol<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I want Trump to look into Putin&rsquo;s eyes, see his soul and realise that he can&rsquo;t be negotiated with,&rdquo; Hayda says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"DleOj\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"adWrapper IMjKL noPrint\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"CtZLl\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Hy4HP DDAG1 Wf6Y9\" data-testid=\"body-content\" readability=\"37.162127107652\">\n<p>The Ukrainian activists also note we are speaking on August 14, the anniversary of the 1784 Awa&rsquo;uq massacre, when Russian fur traders killed hundreds of indigenous Alaskans near Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Some estimates put the death toll in the thousands.<\/p>\n<p>At their closest point in the Bering Strait, mainland Alaska and the Russian Far East are less than 100 kilometres apart. Of course, these are largely uninhabited areas in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Alaska was Russian territory until 1867, when it was sold to the US. It didn&rsquo;t become a state until 1959.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2ZLD6 U-JKO\" readability=\"1.5\"><picture class><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.369%2C$multiply_1.0582%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_40\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/b0e8c61f7ba8671fe48c4eda16a0e73208c0593c, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.369%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_40\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/b0e8c61f7ba8671fe48c4eda16a0e73208c0593c 2x\" height=\"534\" width=\"800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.369%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_40\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/b0e8c61f7ba8671fe48c4eda16a0e73208c0593c, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.369%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_40\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/b0e8c61f7ba8671fe48c4eda16a0e73208c0593c 2x\" height=\"464\" width=\"696\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vladimir Putin and former US president George W. Bush enjoyed an often convivial relationship.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.369,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_40\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/b0e8c61f7ba8671fe48c4eda16a0e73208c0593c\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.369%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_40\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/b0e8c61f7ba8671fe48c4eda16a0e73208c0593c, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.369%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_40\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/b0e8c61f7ba8671fe48c4eda16a0e73208c0593c 2x\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"jg6iR\" readability=\"3\">\n<p><span class>Vladimir Putin and former US president George W. Bush enjoyed an often convivial relationship.<\/span><cite class><span class=\"ag1eF\">Credit: <\/span>Reuters<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;People here learn their history,&rdquo; says Hayda. &ldquo;They learn that this was a Russian colony. They know what kind of atrocities Russia has previously committed, especially to the indigenous population here.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;To see that happening again in 2025 is, I think, deeply personal to a lot of Alaskans, and it&rsquo;s resonant in a way that it isn&rsquo;t to many Americans. So to have this war criminal fall from the sky in the middle of Anchorage is not lost on people.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2ZLD6 U-JKO\" readability=\"2\"><picture class><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_1.0582%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/88398f7e8b172364a07c4d2ceeaf31c3255325b6, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/88398f7e8b172364a07c4d2ceeaf31c3255325b6 2x\" height=\"534\" width=\"800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/88398f7e8b172364a07c4d2ceeaf31c3255325b6, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/88398f7e8b172364a07c4d2ceeaf31c3255325b6 2x\" height=\"464\" width=\"696\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A poster displayed in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, ahead of the summit.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.378,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/88398f7e8b172364a07c4d2ceeaf31c3255325b6\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/88398f7e8b172364a07c4d2ceeaf31c3255325b6, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/88398f7e8b172364a07c4d2ceeaf31c3255325b6 2x\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"jg6iR\" readability=\"4\">\n<p><span class>A poster displayed in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, ahead of the summit.<\/span><cite class><span class=\"ag1eF\">Credit: <\/span>Bloomberg<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Others are not so sure. I speak with Gunnar Knapp, an emeritus economics professor at the University of Alaska, who wrote a letter to the <em>Anchorage Daily News<\/em> condemning Trump&rsquo;s decision to welcome &ldquo;this evil man&rdquo; to US territory and give him &ldquo;a propaganda platform for his lies&rdquo;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"DleOj\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"adWrapper IMjKL noPrint\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"CtZLl\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Hy4HP DDAG1 Wf6Y9\" data-testid=\"body-content\" readability=\"50\">\n<p>Knapp said he would usually be excited to see Alaska host a meeting between the president and a world leader. &ldquo;Normally, Alaskans thrive on this kind of attention,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of a big deal.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This time, there are protests and unease. But Knapp is not convinced most people care. He estimates the number of people who know much about Russia&rsquo;s history in Alaska, or think about it, is &ldquo;tiny&rdquo;. And Alaska is a solid red state; it voted for Trump three times, and its two senators and one congressman are all Republicans.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2ZLD6 U-JKO\" readability=\"1.5\"><picture class><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.129%2C$multiply_1.0582%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/3eed186e9a6749fa807eee21d79a33d196a899d3, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.129%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/3eed186e9a6749fa807eee21d79a33d196a899d3 2x\" height=\"534\" width=\"800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.129%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/3eed186e9a6749fa807eee21d79a33d196a899d3, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.129%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/3eed186e9a6749fa807eee21d79a33d196a899d3 2x\" height=\"464\" width=\"696\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The protest outside a shopping mall in Anchorage on Thursday afternoon, local time.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.129,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/3eed186e9a6749fa807eee21d79a33d196a899d3\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.129%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/3eed186e9a6749fa807eee21d79a33d196a899d3, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.129%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/3eed186e9a6749fa807eee21d79a33d196a899d3 2x\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"jg6iR\" readability=\"3\">\n<p><span class>The protest outside a shopping mall in Anchorage on Thursday afternoon, local time.<\/span><cite class><span class=\"ag1eF\">Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s going to be a very large number of Alaskans who think: &lsquo;wow, Trump, our hero, is coming to the state&rsquo;. They are &ldquo;clueless about the broader international context and risks of this meeting,&rdquo; says Knapp.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Knapp&rsquo;s European friends are contacting him about their fear of what may transpire in his hometown. &ldquo;This is not what I welcome Alaska being known for,&rdquo; he says.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday afternoon, up to 1000 pro-Ukraine, anti-Trump protesters lined a busy highway intersection just south of the city centre, waving Ukrainian flags, holding provocative signs and eliciting a chorus of honks from passing motorists.<\/p>\n<p>Tasha Boyer Dunbar, 27, born and raised in Alaska, said there was nothing to be gained from the meeting, and feared it would only exacerbate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m frankly surprised that it is happening at all,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"DleOj\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"adWrapper IMjKL noPrint\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"CtZLl\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Hy4HP DDAG1 Wf6Y9\" data-testid=\"body-content\" readability=\"43.815789473684\">\n<p>Dunbar carried a sign bearing the faces of Trump and Putin with the kicker: &ldquo;I can see fascists from my house.&rdquo; That references a famous line from <em>Saturday Night Live<\/em> mocking former Alaska governor and vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin.<\/p>\n<p>Nancy McManamin, 71, said: &ldquo;I think it looks bad internationally to have a war criminal meeting with our own personal criminal here in Alaska.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2ZLD6 U-JKO\" readability=\"1\"><picture class><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_1.0582%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/ae0c639b3311fae32570e3fde8b6326ccf936823, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/ae0c639b3311fae32570e3fde8b6326ccf936823 2x\" height=\"534\" width=\"800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/ae0c639b3311fae32570e3fde8b6326ccf936823, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/ae0c639b3311fae32570e3fde8b6326ccf936823 2x\" height=\"464\" width=\"696\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tasha Boyer Dunbar said there was no point to the meeting.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.132,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/ae0c639b3311fae32570e3fde8b6326ccf936823\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/ae0c639b3311fae32570e3fde8b6326ccf936823, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.132%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/ae0c639b3311fae32570e3fde8b6326ccf936823 2x\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"jg6iR\" readability=\"2\">\n<p><span class>Tasha Boyer Dunbar said there was no point to the meeting.<\/span><cite class><span class=\"ag1eF\">Credit: <\/span>Michael Koziol<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Several attendees at the rally even feared Trump would sell Alaska back to Russia, saying they had seen the rumour spreading on internet forums.<\/p>\n<p>There are pockets of Russian influence in Alaska, particularly in light of what author David Ramseur calls the &ldquo;melting of the ice curtain&rdquo; that accompanied the end of the Cold War. At the St Innocent Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Anchorage, Russian native and US resident Mark Kalashnikov told the Associated Press he knew many people who had suffered in the war.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is reassuring to see there is at least some communication happening,&rdquo; he said of the summit. &ldquo;We are trying to do what is asked of us, to come together as a community locally and to pray.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_2ZLD6 U-JKO\" readability=\"2.5\"><picture class><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_1.0582%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/88ead6f8ab262c66e507b595cf54693c38864a54, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/88ead6f8ab262c66e507b595cf54693c38864a54 2x\" height=\"534\" width=\"800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/88ead6f8ab262c66e507b595cf54693c38864a54, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/88ead6f8ab262c66e507b595cf54693c38864a54 2x\" height=\"464\" width=\"696\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mark Kalashnikov, a native of Russia living in the United States, at the St Innocent Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Anchorage.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.151,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/88ead6f8ab262c66e507b595cf54693c38864a54\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/88ead6f8ab262c66e507b595cf54693c38864a54, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/88ead6f8ab262c66e507b595cf54693c38864a54 2x\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"jg6iR\" readability=\"5\">\n<p><span class>Mark Kalashnikov, a native of Russia living in the United States, at the St Innocent Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Anchorage.<\/span><cite class><span class=\"ag1eF\">Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Restaurant worker Becky Morris, whose downtown diner Anchorage Pel&rsquo;meni serves Russian dumplings with American trimmings, was disappointed she won&rsquo;t get to see Trump or Putin while they are at the air base.<\/p>\n<p>She said the Russian leader was not just going to &ldquo;give up [on Ukraine] and go home&rdquo;. But she was hopeful for a settlement which did not compel Ukraine to surrender too much land. &ldquo;I just want the war to stop,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all I hope for.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Get a note directly from our foreign <\/i><\/b><b><i>correspondents <\/i><\/b><b><i>on what&rsquo;s making headlines around the world. <\/i><\/b><b><i>Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter<\/i><\/b><b><i>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><sub>&lsquo;War criminal falling from the sky&rsquo;: Why Alaskans aren&rsquo;t happy to host Putin<\/sub><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size Directly across the street from the civic centre in downtown Anchorage, where the world&rsquo;s media awaits Saturday&rsquo;s meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the homely Dark Horse cafe is doing a roaring trade. On Thursday, the door rarely stops opening. All the better for mum-and-daughter operators&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/war-criminal-falling-from-the-sky-why-alaskans-arent-happy-to-host-putin\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;\u2018War criminal falling from the sky\u2019: Why Alaskans aren\u2019t happy to host Putin&rdquo;<\/span> &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}