US laughs off reports of Putin eyeing Alaska as Russia’s ‘former real estate’: ‘Not getting it back’

The U.S. State Department on Monday dismissed reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to consider the return of land it considers former Russian “real estate,” including Alaska.

“Let me understand that he signed a document today saying the sale of Alaska is illegal. Well, I say on behalf of all of us in the U.S. government that yes, he has We say we haven't taken it back,'' Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the Secretary of State, said during a regular briefing when asked about the reported legislation.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, President Putin on Friday signed a decree allocating funds to the Russian Foreign Property Service of the Presidential Executive Directorate of the Russian Federation and covering the “search process for state-owned real estate objects.” Russian Federation, former Russian Empire, former Soviet Union” and ” [property] “Rights” and “legal protection of this property.”

It's unclear whether President Putin had his eye on Alaska, but the Institute for the Study of War, an American think tank, said on Friday that “Prominent mill bloggers react to this executive order to force Russia to begin enacting the Alaska Act.'' “That was an incredibly demanding request.” Alaska, and large parts of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and all of Central Asia.

“We propose to start with Alaska, the Dnieper River in Ukraine, Bessarabia, the Grand Duchy of Finland, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the states of Russian Turkestan in Central Asia, most of the Baltic states, and significant parts of Poland,” Russia said. the nationalist said. the blogger wrote on Telegram, sharing a photo of President Putin's executive order. “The property can be searched both in East Germany and in other Warsaw Pact countries. An expedition of combat tribunals has already left for Africa.”

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Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appeared to mock Patel's comments about Alaska late Monday. “State Department officials say Russia hasn't gotten back Alaska, which it sold to the United States in the 19th century. So that's it. And we've been waiting for it to come back someday. Now war is inevitable.” ” he wrote to X.

During a 2014 Q&A, President Putin was asked if he had any plans to “annex Alaska,” and he called the 1867 sale for $7.2 million “cheap.”

“Alaska was sold at some point in the 19th century. Louisiana was also sold to the United States by France around the same time. Thousands of square kilometers of land were sold for $7.2 million, albeit in gold. A comparable amount You can calculate that, but it's definitely cheap,'' Putin said, as recorded by the Washington Post. “Russia is a northern country with 70% of its land located in the north and far north.Alaska isn't in the southern hemisphere, either.It's cold over there, too.Let's not get too worried.''Okay? “

“It's a common joke, Mr. Putin. They jokingly call Alaska 'icy Crimea,'” Russian journalist Kirill Kreymyonov joked during the session.

Signing of the Alaska Armistice Treaty. (Getty Images)

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But the prospect of Moscow taking back Alaska was also mentioned as recently as December by Russian politician Sergei Mironov, who called for a referendum on Venezuela to take over the neighboring oil-rich Essequibo region, which is controlled by Guyana. responded to X about his approval.

“Did you want a new world order? Take it and sign it. Venezuela has annexed its 24th state, Guyana-Essequibo. This is happening right under the noses of the once great hegemon, the United States. What remains? “All that's left is for Mexico to give back Texas and Texas. It's time for Americans to think about their future. And Alaska too,” he wrote on Dec. 6.

This $7.2 million check was sent from the United States to the Soviet Union to purchase Alaska. (Hulton-Deutsch Collection/COBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

According to the State Department's Historical Bureau, Russia “offered to sell Alaska to the United States in 1859, believing that America would offset the plans of Britain, Russia's chief rival in the Pacific.” “The impending Civil War delayed the sale, but after the war, Secretary of State William Seward quickly accepted a new offer from Russia, and on March 30, 1867, the Russian Minister in Washington, Edouard de Stoeckle, Alaska was ceded for $7.2 million. The Senate approved the purchase treaty on April 9, President Andrew Johnson signed the treaty on May 28, and Alaska was ceded in 1867. It was officially transferred to the United States on October 18th.

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The bureau stated that the purchase “ended the Russian presence in North America and secured U.S. access to the northern rim of the Pacific Ocean,” and that the 1867 sale “expanded trade and settlements to the Pacific coast of North America.” “It marked the end of Russia's efforts.” It was an important step for the United States to emerge as a major power in the Asia-Pacific region. ”