In the early hours of Saturday morning following a summit in Alaska between the leaders of Russia and the United States, senior politicians in Moscow were quick to trumpet the meeting as a win for Russia and its narrative of the war in Ukraine.

The meeting between President Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is taking place in a region rich with significance for Moscow. Once Russian territory, Alaska was sold by Alexander II in 1867 for $7.

The Trump-Putin summit will take place in a former Russian colony that the United States bought for $7.2 million in 1867. Here’s how the deal came together and why its legacy matters.

Trump and Putin are slated to meet in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. The high-stakes meeting comes three-and-a-half years into Russia's war with Ukraine, which Trump pledged to end on his first day back in office.

ANCHORAGE—Dozens of Russian Orthodox faithful joined in prayer ahead of Friday’s summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin, hoping for peace between Russia and Ukraine. “Let our leaders yearn for peace when they meet,

US–Russia Alaska talks take a tense turn as Vladimir Putin arrives with a seasoned team of diplomats, war strategists, and economic heavyweights, outnumbering Washingtons more loyalty-driven inner circle.