US-Russia Peace Deal Proposed, Huge Win for Putin: Report
www.newsweek.com

... he United States and Russia are aiming to secure a peace deal that would lock in Russia's gains in Ukraine following its invasion three and a half years ago, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The deal would mean Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky giving up the entire eastern Donbas, Crimea and parts of Luhansk and Donetsk, where fighting is still raging, unnamed sources told Bloomberg.

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department, as well as the Russian and Ukrainian foreign affairs ministries for comment via email on Friday.
Why It Matters

If confirmed, such a deal would represent a huge win for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 with the stated goal of "liberating" the Donbas, despite concerns and condemnation from global leaders who viewed the war as unprovoked and unjustified.

The conflict has continued for years as Russia has struggled to make more substantial gains in Ukraine after its initial progress. However, peace deals have also stalled as Russian and Ukrainian leaders have not reached a consensus on key sticking points, such as whether Russia should keep its seized Ukrainian territory. ...

What Happens Next?

Full details of the reported proposal have not been released ahead of an upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin. Trump said this week that Putin does not have to meet with Zelensky as a condition to their sit-down. ...

Alaska Purchase
en.wikipedia.org

... The Alaska Purchase was the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire by the United States for a sum of $7.2 million in 1867 (equivalent to $129 million in 2023).[1] ...

Some opponents labeled the purchase as "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox"[2] as they contended that the United States had acquired useless land. Nearly all Russian settlers left Alaska in the aftermath of the purchase ...

Note that it was a purchase, and not land taken via an unprovoked invasion.

Russian State TV Discusses Options For Seizing Alaska (September 2024)
www.newsweek.com

... Russian State TV recently broadcasted a segment of a talk show during which the hosts discussed the potential of Alaska joining Russia.

In the show, the host makes a joke saying: "Do you know what they call Alaska? Ice Crimea." ...

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Russian TV Covets Alaska: 'Given Away Cheaply' (January 2025)
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-alaska-greenland-trump-2015207

... Russian state television discussed President-elect Donald Trump's call for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, suggesting Moscow should also increase its territorial ambitions, including Alaska which was sold to the U.S. in the 19th century. ...

Russian state TV and Kremlin insiders laughing at Trump's concessions to Putin over Ukraine: report (February 2025)
www.yahoo.com

... Kremlin insiders spent Wednesday night laughing on Russian state TV after President Donald Trump handed his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, significant concessions in the upcoming peace talks over the war in Ukraine before the negotiations had even begun.

Trump and his administration in recent days have put the kibosh on the notion that Ukraine could become a member of NATO and that it could take back territories currently under Russian control.

Propagandists on Russian state TV and radio broke into elated laughter as Ukraine and its allies were left bewildered. Olga Skabeeva, the host of the Russian state TV program 60 Minutes, called the events "unthinkable" and "unimaginable," according to Julia Davis, an analyst of Russian media, writing for The Daily Beast.

Skabeeva asked the network's Europe correspondent Mikhail Antonov: "What does it all mean? Ukraine is left without NATO? Ukraine is left without money?" ...

Aleutian Islands
www.worldatlas.com

... The Aleutian Islands stretch across the 180 longitude and therefore the Aleutian archipelago includes both the Amatignak Island, which forms the westernmost region of the United States by longitude, and the Semisopochnoi Island, which forms the easternmost region of the United States by longitude. ...