Since then, billboards in Russian cities have echoed this sentiment. The United States bought Alaska for $7.2 million in 1867 because Russia found that the territory cost more than it is worth.

mkhail Svetlov

Russian politician Oleg Matveychev has called on the United States to return Alaska to Russia because the relationship between the two world powers is tense due to the Ukrainian war. Since then, billboards in Russian cities have echoed this sentiment. The United States bought Alaska for $7.2 million in 1867 because Russia found that the territory cost more than it is worth. Russian rhetoric seems strange to Americans.

After gold was discovered in 1896, Alaska has since become a gold mine for natural resources, including the main drivers of the global economy - oil and natural gas . Therefore, Russia's interest in Alaska may have originated from this.

Introduction to Alaska, Russia

Russian fur merchants and hunters arrived in Alaska in the 18th century and eventually settled in Kodiak Island . The Russian existence steadily expanded eastward, with settlements in the Neo-Arkhangelsk (Sitka) all the way to Rosburg, , CA .

Although Russia claims sovereignty over Alaska, in Alaska, there are never more than 800 Russians. It is far from Russia's European political and cultural centers, and naturally, few people are willing to stay in the harsh Alaska environment for a long time. By the 1850s, the colony became too expensive, so Russia sold it to the United States.

Today, Alaska is a very different place. According to the U.S. Census, its population is about 733,000, and the state speaks primarily English. The state is also part of the U.S. global security strategy, and Washington will be reluctant to give up on Alaska given the potential for dire economic and strategic consequences.

Northern Guardians

For most Americans under 48, Russia seems to be half a world away from them. But in fact, the two countries have an often forgotten maritime border in Bering Sea , which makes hostilities a concern for the United States. Alaska was called the "Northern Guardian" during the Cold War , and Alaska was the key to the US's competition with Russia in the US's Arctic policy.

Alaska is one of the most strategic regions on the planet and has a U.S. stake. Alaska has abundant natural resources including oil, gas, coal, fish and rare earth mines, which are crucial to the U.S. economy. It is also important to be a base for the United States to project its power in the Arctic and Europe. Alaska crosses a series of routes known as the “Grand Circle,” which allows the United States to exert influence on Asia and Europe. Furthermore, the U.S. economy relies on Arctic sea and air shipping through these routes. The redistribution and changes of Arctic sea ice, due to its connection to the Atlantic Ocean, the development of Northwest Passage will make it even more important. Therefore, if Alaska falls into Russia's hands, the United States' first line of defense, including the early ballistic missile defense system , will also fall. In addition, the loss of natural resources will force the United States to reconsider the sources of some of its raw materials, especially oil and gas, and the United States will lose its largest energy reserves.

Alaska is an energy gold mine. Although the Biden administration overturned the policy of opening up Alaska energy exploration in the Trump era, high oil prices forced the White House to reconsider opening up Alaska drilling. The state has historically been an important oil producer, and although production has dropped to 4% of the total U.S. output, the state has huge undeveloped potential, something Russia has noticed, and the United States may not be able to afford the loss.

Alaska has the largest oil reserves in the United States. At least 24 billion barrels of oil in the state are locked in sea mines, while onshore reserves exceed 70 billion barrels. Meanwhile, the American Gas Association pointed out that there are 250 trillion cubic feet of natural gas that can meet the U.S.'s natural gas demand for a decade.

So, while the United States has not yet fully utilized the full potential of Alaska oil, simply giving up on it is impossible.Only once Alaska's energy potential is fully tapped, Russia will truly regret selling Alaska - this shows that the United States will not only achieve energy independence again, but also become a huge power at the expense of Russia. If Russia takes over Alaska again, the U.S. energy ambitions will take a huge blow, while strengthening Russia's control over the global energy market.

Ice Curtain may fall

According to locals, transportation once freely crossed the straits, whether it was trade, marriage or family visits. But as the relations between the Soviet Union and the United States became increasingly cold, and the borders were closed and militarized, Gorbachev called this phenomenon the "ice curtain". Alaskan natives can only visit relatives occasionally at Siberia , usually under strict supervision.

As the Soviet Union and the United States thawed, a few Alaskas were allowed to visit relatives. However, visiting relatives from Alaska to Chukchi is still not easy. Not only do Americans need a visa to visit Russia, the U.S. government believes that Russia is a hostile country in addition to its nominality, and they also need a separate permit to visit Chukochi.

Russia may try referendum

Russia has only two ways to seize Alaska. One is through brute force and military occupation. This is a big problem because between the 64.5% private gun ownership rate and the massive U.S. military presence, Alaska is the armed and reinforced teeth. The second type, Russian MP Pyotr Tolstoy said that Alaska could enter Russia through a referendum.

The United States will never allow referendums. Russia will have to occupy Alaska, and Alaska will have to voluntarily leave. If economic deterioration and polarization lead to the disintegration of the United States, Alaskas may reconsider their historical ties to Russia.

Unless it is peacefully separated, it is likely to be World War III.

Russia and NATO ’s disputes in the Arctic will only exacerbate the tension caused by the distrust accumulated after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The further Russian invasion of Alaska could lead to World War III—this time, the two major belligerents are a terrible possibility. Both the U.S. and Russian politicians and authoritatives have made disturbing statements about nuclear weapons . Russia said it would use nuclear weapons if it was attacked first, or if its survival was threatened. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Roger Wick (via Mediate) called on the United States to retain the possibility of nuclear preemptive action as a deterrent.