NATO Blocks Route — How Putin Might Bypass Europe’s ‘Nuclear’ Airspace for Alaska Summit with Trump
GLOBAL EVENTS
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet US President Donald Trump in Alaska on August 15 to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, against the backdrop of strained US-Russia relations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a rare and logistically challenging trip to Alaska in mid-August, where he will meet US President Donald Trump to discuss possible ways to end the war in Ukraine. Scheduled for August 15, the summit comes at a tense moment in US-Russia relations, with the two nuclear powers balancing confrontation and dialogue under the world’s watch. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not expected to attend, but Trump has said the Ukrainian leader will be the first person he calls after the talks.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO nations and their allies have heavily restricted their airspace to Russian aircraft. The US, Canada, the UK, Norway, and most of Europe have imposed bans, cutting off traditional routes between Russia and the West. This has left Putin’s flight planners navigating a web of restrictions, turning what would have been a direct journey into a test of high-level diplomacy.
In retaliation, Moscow also closed its skies to more than 30 “unfriendly” countries, leaving the global flight map fractured.
How Will Putin Get to Alaska?
With most NATO and allied airspace off-limits, the only feasible path for Putin’s aircraft is from Russia’s Chukotka Peninsula, across the narrow Bering Strait that separates Russia from Alaska. Even this limited corridor requires special diplomatic clearance. The US government has reportedly agreed to a rare, carefully negotiated permit for the Russian leader’s plane to cross into American airspace — a move reflecting the delicate balance between security and diplomacy.
Why the Meeting?
Trump had earlier set an August 8 deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but the date passed without progress. On the campaign trail, he has repeatedly claimed he could end the war within 24 hours if elected, and has argued it would never have started under his presidency.
After the missed deadline, Trump announced he would meet Putin in Alaska. The announcement followed “highly productive” talks between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin in Moscow.
The White House has downplayed expectations of an immediate breakthrough. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the meeting as “a listening exercise for the president,” noting Trump could visit Russia after the Alaska summit. Speaking to reporters, Trump called it a “feel-out meeting” intended to push Putin toward ending the conflict.