Historical IRONY: Russians sold Alaska cheap to US, now Trump offers some Ukraine 'land swap' to Putin as they meet in the same place

Ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump hinted at some ‘land swaps’ for Russia in order to end the Ukraine war. Given that the US had bought Alaska pretty cheap back in the day, it's quite ironic that the northern American state is the venue of the proposed ‘new land deal’. Here is a look at how Alaska was the place of 'land transfers' between the US and Russia and the irony of it being the venue of the Putin-Trump summit on Friday (Aug 15).

When the US bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million on a bargain

At the time of the purchase in 1867, the deal led by then US secretary of state William Seward was derided as "Seward’s Folly", as many thought that Alaska was a frozen wasteland with no value.

Russia was hard-pressed to sell the territory to the US due to economic woes and the fall in fur trade, the only thing Alaska was known for at the time.

But today, Alaska is literally sitting on a goldmine: It has natural resources in gold, oil, and critical minerals.

Alaska's transition from being part of Russia to the US

Back in the 19th century, Alaska was part of what's known as Russian America. Russian nationalists even today view its sale to America as a historic mistake.
Some of them often raised the need for Russia to reclaim Alaska, but in 2014, Putin dismissed this as a pointless idea, even saying the place was “too cold.”

Note that it was sold at 2 cents per acre to the US, making it the most valuable acquisition of the US when one looks at its economic potential today.

The Russian influence in Alaska continues

The Russian Orhodox Church still functions in Alaska, and communities with Russian heritage, like the Old Believers, still live in the US state. And if one looks at the map, the US and Russia are only 2.5 miles apart at the Diomede Islands in Alaska.

Trump's potential ‘land swap’ deal with Russia at Alaska summit

Cut to 2025, and Trump has already floated the idea of a "swapping of territories" as part of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Ahead of his summit with Putin, Trump said such a land deal would be for the "betterment of both" Russia and Ukraine.
This land proposal, in several ways, mirrors the 1867 Alaska purchase. The land swap, if it happens, will have far-reaching consequences for Ukraine and Russia, like the Alaska deal had for the US and Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected any such land concessions, insisting that Russia must not receive any rewards for its aggression.
This stance is also a sharp contrast with Russia’s own past decision to sell Alaska voluntarily. (Note that Ukraine was once part of the larger, Russia-led Soviet Union).

Will Trump give Alaska back to Russia?

Interesting side note here: On Monday (Aug 11), while addressing the media, Trump mistakenly said he would meet Putin "in Russia" before correcting himself to Alaska. This led to mockery online, with critics saying Trump might think Alaska is still Russian and might even offer it back to Putin.
But there is a view that Trump's choice of Alaska for the summit is full of symbolism and a show of American strength: meeting Putin in a land his nation once owned.
Pro-Putin propagandists could, however, play up the nationalist aspects of this if he wins some territory from Ukraine. He could paint it as Russia reclaiming lost territories.

Will the miscalculations of Alaska Purchase repeat in 2025?

It would be a strategic loss for Ukraine, and a miscalculation for the US and West, if Ukrainian territories like Donetsk or Luhansk are given to Russia in a Trump-mediated deal, much worse if it happens without the presence or consent of Zelensky.

The sale of Alaska was a historical blunder for Russia and a geopolitical victory for the US. At the Alaska summit, the themes of undervaluation, nationalism, and misjudged diplomacy will play out again, and the irony will not be lost on anyone who knows history.