https://sputnikglobe.com/20250812/exalaska-lt-governor-says-wants-dialogue-friendship-between-us-russia-1122597804.html
Ex–Alaska Lt. Governor Says Wants Dialogue, Friendship Between US, Russia
Ex–Alaska Lt. Governor Says Wants Dialogue, Friendship Between US, Russia
Sputnik International
The United States and Russia should maintain dialogue and friendship, Alaska’s former Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman told RIA Novosti, commenting on the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
2025-08-12T10:16+0000
2025-08-12T10:16+0000
2025-08-15T11:03+0000
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«I want to be dialogue. I want to be friendship, and I want people to be listening to each other. I think the fact that we have a conversation about it will be a good thing,» Leman said. Russian and American people need to recognize that they love each other, he added.Leman recalled a meeting that happened when he led a US delegation to Vladivostok in the 2000s. A local man came over to him in the street and gave him a big hug, saying that the Russians always loved Americans.Love Between Russians and Americans Can Break Barriers“There are a lot of Russian people who live in Alaska, and many of them are my friends. We enjoy that. We have intermarriages between the Russians and Americans. Love has a way of breaking down barriers,” Leman added.Leman highlighted that Alaska can quickly prepare to host the upcoming Trump–Putin meeting and has sufficient security capacity.»Of course, security is a big part of it, and we have the capacity to provide security and will do that,” Leman said.In that light, he noted that US military bases in Alaska could serve as excellent venues for the meeting.The other one would be Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, he added.Leman did not rule out that the Russian president may not feel comfortable while visiting a US military base. However, he ensured that security would be at the top level.Many other smaller and remote places in Alaska could host the meeting as well, but receiving hundreds and thousands of people may become an issue there, the former official said.“So, with very short notice, you probably need to be looking at either Anchorage and its vicinity or Fairbanks and its vicinity,” he added.“My hope would be that there will be a meaningful dialogue that results quickly in a ceasefire, and there would be some type of peace agreement,” Leman said.He emphasized that Trump wants to stop the conflict and expressed the hope that Putin has the same intention.The Kremlin and the White House said last week that Putin and Trump would meet in Alaska on August 15.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250812/alaskas-russian-roots-run-deep–ex-lt-gov-ahead-of-trump-putin-talks-1122595901.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250810/putin-and-trump-may-reconfigure-the-world-order-in-alaska-1122590042.html
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alaska, loren leman, former lieutenant governor, putin-trump summit, us-russia relations, anchorage, fairbanks, joint base elmendorf-richardson, eielson air force base, alaska summit security, us military bases, ceasefire hopes, peace agreement, russian-american friendship, us-russia dialogue, august 15 meeting
ANCHORAGE (Sputnik) – The United States and Russia should maintain dialogue and friendship, Alaska’s former Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman told RIA Novosti, commenting on the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
«I want to be dialogue. I want to be friendship, and I want people to be listening to each other. I think the fact that we have a conversation about it will be a good thing,» Leman said.
Russian and American people need to recognize that they love each other, he added.
“Politically speaking, we may have differences. But down to the roots, with the people, we just love each other, and over the years, we have had very good exchanges with the Russian people. We need to recognize that,” Leman said.
Leman recalled a meeting that happened when he led a US delegation to Vladivostok in the 2000s. A local man came over to him in the street and gave him a big hug, saying that the Russians always loved Americans.
Love Between Russians and Americans Can Break Barriers
“There are a lot of Russian people who live in Alaska, and many of them are my friends. We enjoy that. We have intermarriages between the Russians and Americans. Love has a way of breaking down barriers,” Leman added.
Leman highlighted that Alaska can quickly prepare to host the upcoming Trump–Putin meeting and has sufficient security capacity.
«Of course, security is a big part of it, and we have the capacity to provide security and will do that,” Leman said.
In that light, he noted that US military bases in Alaska could serve as excellent venues for the meeting.
“We have to think about security, and it has to be near airports, because there are going to be a lot of people coming. I think of the couple of places that come to my mind quickly. One is Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which is a military base right adjacent to Anchorage. It has lots of capabilities.” Leman said.
The other one would be Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, he added.
Leman did not rule out that the Russian president may not feel comfortable while visiting a US military base. However, he ensured that security would be at the top level.
Many other smaller and remote places in Alaska could host the meeting as well, but receiving hundreds and thousands of people may become an issue there, the former official said.
“So, with very short notice, you probably need to be looking at either Anchorage and its vicinity or Fairbanks and its vicinity,” he added.
“My hope would be that there will be a meaningful dialogue that results quickly in a ceasefire, and there would be some type of peace agreement,” Leman said.
He emphasized that Trump wants to stop the conflict and expressed the hope that Putin has the same intention.
The Kremlin and the White House said last week that Putin and Trump would meet in Alaska on August 15.
