"What has been building up for the Ukrainians is fundamentally a manpower issue," a former senior Pentagon adviser told Newsweek.

Sentiment toward Russia in Alaska has cooled since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously to suspend its three-decade-long sister city relationship with Magadan, Russia, and the Juneau Assembly sent its sister city of Vladivostok a letter expressing concern.

For most of his quarter-century rule, President Vladimir Putin visited places like Paris, London, Vienna and New York.