Putin was welcomed with an elaborate setup at Alaska's Elmendorf Air Base, which includes a red carpet, multiple fighter jets, and bold signage proclaiming "ALASKA 2025." An "Alaska 2025" sign and red carpet were ready on the base tarmac for the leaders' arrival. The carpeting was lined on either side with fighter jets, parked at an angle.

A senior Russian lawmaker said Russian corporations could be interested in developing rare earth metals in Alaska just a few days before the face-to-face meeting between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.