Sentiment toward Russia in Alaska has cooled since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously to suspend its three-decade-long sister city relationship with Magadan, Russia, and the Juneau Assembly sent its sister city of Vladivostok a letter expressing concern.

European leaders urged US President Donald Trump on Wednesday not to strike a unilateral Ukraine peace deal with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during their one-on-one meeting later this week in Alaska.

President Trump said there will be “severe consequences” if Russian president Vladimir Putin does not agree to stop the war in Ukraine, ahead of Friday’s high-stakes face-to-face meeting in Alaska.