Mrs Podicenko’s hope is echoed by several of the 1,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled to Alaska since 2022 with the help of New Chance, a Russian-language church. Mrs Podicenko moved to Alaska with her friend Olena Demchenko, and her two children, Aleksander, 15, and Sofia, seven. She now works in a care home in Anchorage.

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.

The much-anticipated—and feared—summit is almost upon us. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in Alaska on Friday. The meeting is a win for the Russian leader, since it will be hard for Ukraine and the Europeans to demonize someone invited to visit the United States,