American officials quickly discovered a major snag in planning for the summit: summertime is peak tourist season in Alaska, and options both available and equipped to host the two world leaders were severely limited.

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.

Russia has signaled to the U.S. that it may be willing to end the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters Tuesday. "We had a call with President Trump and with some European leaders.