Several Chinese icebreakers spotted off Alaska before Trump’s meeting with Putin on Friday
U.S. military monitors unprecedented Chinese presence in Arctic waters as Trump prepares for high-stakes talks with Putin in Anchorage
President Trump will meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, this Friday, Aug. 13, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on the northern edge of Anchorage, Alaska.
At the same time, the U.S. military and Coast Guard are keeping an eye on the unprecedented appearance of five Chinese icebreaking vessels off the coast of Alaska.
As reported by gCaptain, the fleet of Chinese icebreakers in Arctic waters is led by the Xue Long 2. It left Shanghai on July 5 and has been operating in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Anchorage since then.
According to U.S. authorities, the vessels are operating in international waters and are “not considered a homeland defense threat, [though] their numbers represent an increase from years past. NORAD and USNORTHCOM will continue to monitor the ships’ progress while operating in the region.”
Last Friday, the Coast Guard “detected and responded to two Chinese research vessels operating in the U.S. Arctic and is currently monitoring a total of five similar vessels in or near the U.S. Arctic,” the service said.
Notably, that’s two more icebreakers than the United States is capable of operating in the Arctic, with a third Arctic-capable icebreaker, the Storis, only being commissioned last Sunday, Aug. 10. Immediately after commissioning, the Storis was set to depart on patrol in the Coast Guard Arctic District area of operations.
What are the Chinese icebreakers doing?
China says the ships are on scientific missions, conducting oceanographic surveys, deploying deep-sea submersibles and gathering environmental data in the Chukchi, Beaufort and Bering seas. The work is part of a long-running polar research program tied to Beijing’s “Polar Silk Road” strategy, which seeks to expand knowledge of Arctic conditions while laying the groundwork for future shipping and resource projects. U.S. officials note that, despite the scientific label, such deployments can also serve dual-use purposes, supporting navigation, mapping and other activities with potential military applications.
What is the agenda for the Trump-Putin summit
The meeting between Trump and Putin is the first time in four years the top U.S. and Russian leaders have met, the previous being President Joe Biden’s 2021 summit with Putin in Geneva, Switzerland.
The primary focus of the Aug. 15 summit in Anchorage is on negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. President Trump has floated the idea of territorial “swaps” as part of a peace deal, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected any solution imposed without Kyiv’s participation.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt described the meeting as “a listening exercise,” with President Trump aiming to assess whether Putin is sincere about peace and what his demands might be. The summit could also segue into broader discussions of postwar security, sanctions and Russia’s ambitions regarding Ukraine’s NATO prospects.
Meanwhile, European and Ukrainian leaders are coordinating behind the scenes. Online talks are planned between President Trump, Zelenskyy and EU officials to ensure Ukraine’s interests are considered, signaling rising concern over decisions being made in Kyiv’s absence.
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