President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

When U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska on Friday, it will be the latest chapter in the 49th state’s long history with Russia — and with international tensions.

Russia's decision to sell Alaska was influenced by its financial struggles following the Crimean War and the desire to strengthen ties with the United States, a fellow rival of Great Britain. Selling Alaska provided Russia with much-needed cash and ensured that Britain would not gain control of the territory.

The act of meeting and the nature of the interaction were such that the summit did considerable damage to the U.S. and broader western position on Ukraine.

Donald Trump has signalled his support for a package of security guarantees for Ukraine, including foreign boots on Ukrainian soil from around 10 European countries, in a new push to pressure Russian president Vladimir Putin into ending the conflict.

Ukraine's air force reported a major Russian attack on Monday night and into Tuesday morning -- the largest barrage for weeks.

Alaska summit between Trump and Putin featured military displays and diplomatic talks about Ukraine conflict but produced only modest progress toward peace

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed at their summit in Alaska last week that the U.S. would be able to offer security guarantees to Ukraine, according to Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy,