Alaskans Hope Trump-Putin Meeting In Alaska Will Usher in ‘New Era of Peace’

ANCHORAGE (Alaska), Aug 14 (Bernama-TASS) -- A “new era of peace” is what Alaskans hope will emerge from the upcoming meeting between United States (US) President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Former Alaska lieutenant governor Mead Treadwell told TASS news agency the summit could also boost cooperation in the Arctic.

Treadwell said, “If this summit can begin a new era of peace, it will be a sigh of relief for the world and, perhaps, a renewal of constructive engagement among people of the Arctic.”

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Treadwell, a prominent Alaskan businessman, served as lieutenant governor from 2010 to 2014 and chaired the US Arctic Research Commission from 2006 to 2010.

He added that Alaskans have long hoped an Arctic summit could foster cooperation in the North, especially to protect people and marine life in the Bering Sea.

He said all Alaskans he knows hope for peace as a result of the summit, noting that “modern wars should be avoidable” and it is time to end the Ukraine conflict.

“In the past, we have worked together across the Bering Strait on allowing families to see each other, coordinate search and rescue, promote shipping safety, advance eco-tourism, and at least twice,

“Russian icebreakers have been deployed to help Alaska free whales (1988) and deliver fuel to Nome (2012),” he said.

Trump announced on Aug 8 that he expects to meet Putin in Alaska on Aug 15.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov later confirmed the meeting, saying the leaders would discuss options for a long-term peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis.

The next meeting between Putin and Trump is expected to take place in Russia, Ushakov added.

-- BERNAMA-TASS