Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, recently called for Alaska's return to Russia during a recent Russian-state media program.
Newsweek has reached out to Russia's foreign ministry and the U.S. State Department via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Alaska once belonged to Russia. In 1867, it was sold to the United States after then-President Andrew Johnson signed the Alaska Treaty. It gained the status of a state on January 3, 1959. Alaska and Russia are positioned about 53 miles apart at their closest point.
Tensions around Russia and Alaska intensified in January 2024 when reports surfaced that Putin was looking into reobtaining Alaska, reviving an effort pushed by Russian media throughout the ongoing war in Ukraine that Moscow could seize the state.
Tensions remain high between North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia amid the Russian-Ukraine war as NATO leaders have increasingly warned that direct conflict with Moscow is a realistic danger. This comes after Putin and senior Russian officials have repeatedly threatened nuclear escalation against Kyiv and its Western partners since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Last month, Putin upped Moscow's nuclear rhetoric after the U.S. allowed Kyiv to use longer-range ATACMS to strike inside Russia, formalizing changes to his country's nuclear doctrine that lowers the threshold for atomic weapons use.
Along with the nuclear threat, NATO members such as Germany and the Baltic states have accused Moscow of hybrid attacks and said after the Ukraine war, Moscow could then make a move on countries in the alliance.
What To Know
During the recent program, Solovyov said Finland, Warsaw, the Baltics, Moldova, and Alaska should be "returned to the Russian Empire."
"Do you think I'm joking when I mention Finland, Warsaw, the Baltics, Moldova? Everything returned to the Russian Empire. And Alaska too, while you're at it," Solovyov said in a translated video.
The clip was posted on Saturday by Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
"According to propagandist Solovyov, Finland, Warsaw, the Baltics, Moldova, and even Alaska should be 'returned to the Russian Empire.' They won't stop at Ukraine. The Russian imperialists are insatiable," Gerashchenko wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Four Russian military aircraft entered international airspace close to Alaska on December 17, the U.S. and Canada's joint command said.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced that it detected and tracked the aircraft operating within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
The Russian planes did not enter sovereign U.S. or Canadian territory, and the incident was not perceived as a threat. However, such encounters are not uncommon, and NORAD announced that a number of Russian aircraft entered the Alaska ADIZ in September.
Four aircraft were spotted on September 23; two Russian Il-38 patrol aircraft were tracked on September 14 and 15; two Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft were seen on September 13; and two unspecified Russian aircraft were identified on September 11.
What People Are Saying
State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a press briefing about Putin's January comments: "I think I can speak for all of us in the U.S. government to say that certainly he's not getting [Alaska] back."
Deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev joked about Alaska in January on X, teasing that "war is unavoidable," since the State Department said Russia was not getting Alaska back. He added a laughing emoji to the post.
Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, previously told Newsweek: "Continued Russian approaches toward U.S. airspace are a reminder that while the bulk of Russia's land forces are tied down in Ukraine, its air and naval forces continue to pose a global threat to its adversaries including the United States.
"It's another indicator that Russia is readying itself for confrontation with the West beyond Ukraine, and any break in the fighting there - for instance through a ceasefire - will allow Russia to reconstitute its forces even faster without Ukraine destroying them almost as fast as they are rebuilt."
What Happens Next
Although it remains unclear if Russia will make moves against Alaska. As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, tensions between Moscow and NATO are likely to increase, especially if the alliance's European members bear more of the brunt of support for Ukraine.
The U.S. and other Western countries have been providing Ukraine with military aid to defend itself against Russia.
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