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A senior Russian lawmaker, Viktor Vodolatsky, suggested that Russian corporations might be interested in developing rare earth metals in Alaska just a few days before the face-to-face meeting between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.
Vodolatsky amplified reports indicating that U.S. officials had discussed economic incentives to encourage Russia to end its war with Ukraine. He suggested that “it would be interesting for our large companies and corporations” to work in Alaska.
**Why It Matters**
Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. This high-stakes meeting comes three-and-a-half years into Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, which Trump pledged to end on his first day back in office. Trump has warned that if Russia doesn’t come to the table to end the fighting, it will face serious consequences, likely economic. In recent months, the Trump administration has celebrated various peace agreements and negotiations during Trump’s first six months.
**What To Know**
Vodolatsky, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on CIS affairs, Eurasian integration, and relations with compatriots, told Russian news agency Tass that it “would be interesting for our large companies and corporations to work on the lands of Alaska, developing the natural resources that exist there, or jointly creating companies for the development and extraction of minerals with the Americans.”
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov stated that Trump and Putin would focus on options for achieving a long-term peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis during their meeting in Anchorage.
**What People Are Saying**
President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday: “We’re going to see what happens with our meeting. We have a big meeting. It’s going to be very important for Russia and very important for us. And important to us since we’re trying to save a lot of lives… As far as rare earth, that’s very unimportant. I’m trying to save lives.”
**What Happens Next**
The leaders are scheduled to meet in Anchorage today, with Russian officials describing the session as focusing on a long-term settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and U.S. officials describing it as a preliminary, “listening” meeting.
[Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.]
