The United States could give Russia access to Alaska’s rich oil and gas resources, lift sanctions on Russia’s aviation industry, and allow Russia access to rare earth minerals in Ukraine, according to The Telegraph. Presaged by Russia’s foreign minister in a “USSR” sweatshirt, Russian president Vladimir Putin arrived at the Alaska Summit in Anchorage on Friday to walk the red carpet into a 3 hour meeting to discuss the now 13-year old Russo-Ukraine War. What he achieved was a photo opportunity with Trump, more time to devastate Ukraine, and a private audience with an American president in which to make his case for a multipolar world.

“We do not comment on deliberative conversations that may or may not be happening,” the White House told The Telegraph. “From the beginning, the president has been clear about his commitment to ending the bloodshed and achieving a full and comprehensive ceasefire.”

“There is no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump explained after the historic meeting, but lifting sanctions on Russia’s aviation industry, currently operating a fleet of over 700 planes, will sync Russian airlines to American suppliers for parts and maintenance. Moreover, opening Alaska’s valuable natural resources, especially oil and gas reserves, could push Russia past the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to lead oil and gas production globally. A strategic alliance that would effectively control the world’s energy supply.

“It’s put up or shut up time,” says U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "The President creates his own leverage, and we need the Europeans to come in and help us create that leverage.” That began when the US lifted Russian financial restrictions in preparation for the summit through 20 August 2025.

The White House official, who declined to comment on the possibility of a deal involving Alaska's resources, suggested the US could offer Russia access to Alaska's natural resources and potentially rare earth minerals in Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia, among other concessions, in exchange for a peace deal in Ukraine.

Trump couched that as a “feel out meeting” but the deal, as was, went further. It was designed to signal a cooperation and intention to control the Global North.

That Ukraine and Alaska once belonged to Imperial Russia is an irony not lost on the 2025 Russia–United States Summit. Putin referred to Trump as his “dear neighbor,” and confirmed on Friday something Trump often claims. “I would not have attacked Ukraine if Trump had still been in the White House.”

“Many points were agreed to,” Trump surmized their 3 hour meeting, “but there are just a very few that are left.” While the term “cease-fire” was not mentioned, Trump quipped, “Now its up to President Zelensky to get it done.”

On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and started the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II. The fighting has caused hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties. As of 2025, Russian troops occupy about 20% of Ukraine; 8 million Ukrainians had been internally displaced; and more than 8.2 million had fled the country. It is Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.

As Trump summonses Zelensky to the White House tomorrow, Russia has already seized $12.4 trillion in Ukraine’s metals, minerals, and energy reserves in the Donbas: 41 coal fields, 27 natural gas fields, 9 oil fields, 6 iron ore deposits, two titanium ore deposits, a strontium deposit, a uranium deposit, a gold deposit and a large limestone quarry, according to the Canadian think tank SecDev. The total value of raw material stocks in Ukraine is estimated at over $26 trillion.

As Trump graciously offers them up for ransom in a land swap, its worth mentioning that Putin is a global pariah. On 17 March 2023, following an investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, and the US government has tallied up Russia's economic losses from the war and Western sanctions at $1.3 trillion in 2025.

Turning that around requires a cease fire agreement first, and if or whether Russia and the U.S. were ever to become allies the global balance of power will shift, potentially leading to a new world order.

A multipolar world could yield a more balanced distribution of power. It could yield greater participation by other states, offer checks and balances, reduce the arms race, increase opportunities for trade and cooperation, and expedite global challenges by creating economic diversification and a more cohesive world.

However, a multipolar world could also challenge an existing liberal international order, and potentially lead to new norms and institutions that reflect a particular world view, type of government or religion. The multipolar world — a global political landscape where power is distributed among several major powers — is if not a deal or agreement an afterthought worth considering ahead of the inevitable thaw of these warming relations.