Why Alaska? After all, the state known as the Last Frontier isn't exactly a typical hotbed of international diplomacy. But that's where President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have mutually agreed to meet Aug. 15.
The meeting will take place on the grounds of Anchorage's sprawling Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, which lacks the gold-covered facilities both men are so fond of. The base is thousands of miles from both the White House and the Kremlin, and it sits on land that once belonged to Russia.
But Alaska itself is preparing to play an increasing role on the world stage as climate change opens up new shipping routes close to the North Pole as Russia, China and the United States contest the polar seas for dominance.
More: It was sold in 1867, but some Russians want Alaska back from the US
Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, said in a statement that picking Alaska was natural: His home state is "the most strategic place in the world."
