As the one-on-one meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska is just around the corner, Russia hopes the upcoming meeting between the two leaders should focus on discussions on all accumulated issues in bilateral relations, while the United States has warned Russia of "severe consequences" if the meeting does not progress smoothly.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Tuesday that Trump and Putin will hold a meeting on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, and the meeting between the two leaders will be "one-on-one."
Alexey Fedeyev, deputy director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular press conference on Wednesday that Russia believes this meeting is of great significance from the perspective of ensuring international peace and stability.
This meeting should allow the two leaders to focus on discussions on all accumulated issues in the bilateral relations, he said.
Regarding the possibility of the two presidents discussing the swapping of territories between Russia and Ukraine, Fedeyev said that the goals of the Russian delegation's visit to the United States for negotiations will be determined by Russia's national interests.
He also said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will also attend the meeting in Alaska.
In an interview with U.S. media on Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that "if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up."
He said Trump would inform Putin of the various options the United States might consider, such as intensifying sanctions, easing them, or indefinitely extending current sanctions.
Bessent also called on European countries to join in implementing secondary sanctions against Russia.
Trump warned on Wednesday that there will be "very severe consequences" if Putin doesn't agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine during their meeting in Alaska.
The U.S. president also said that if the Alaska meeting "goes okay," he hopes to hold a trilateral meeting with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky soon.
Russian eyes talks on bilateral ties with US in Alaska, US warns Russia of intensified sanctions
Russian eyes talks on bilateral ties with US in Alaska, US warns Russia of intensified sanctions
Iraq has seen its aviation industry dealt a huge blow because of continued airspace closures and flight suspensions amid regional hostilities triggered by the recent Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran.
As security concerns persist while tensions remain high, Iraq announced on Friday it would extend the closure of its airspace for one more week as uncertainty over the conflict continues to hang in the air.
It is estimated that the country's aviation industry has lost more than 43 million U.S. dollars over the past month since the crisis erupted, with the war causing huge disruption to air travel across the region.
"After the closure of Iraqi airspace, airport operations were halted, and revenue from both arriving and departing flights was lost. This includes income from passenger services as well as overflying aircraft, which has significantly impacted overall revenues," said Maytham al-Safi, director of media office of the Iraqi Ministry of Transport.
The impact is being felt across the board, from government revenues to private businesses, as some of the leading travel agencies say bookings have completely collapsed, with some reporting daily passenger numbers dropping from around 100 to just five.
"Our company has been directly affected. We have four branches and around 80 employees, and the impact has been significant. We still have rent and other expenses to cover, so we are trying to adapt to whatever limited business is still possible," said Ahmed Khalid, managing director of the Safari Trip travel and tourism company in Baghdad.
With air travel no longer an option, many Iraqis are turning to overland routes -- often traveling for hours, even days, to reach neighboring countries like Türkiye. But the journey is not only longer and more expensive, it can also be highly risky.
"This situation creates real anxiety for families. It's not only the travelers who are at risk, but also the vehicles transporting them. These journeys can be dangerous. There is always the risk of accidents or even drone strikes. At the same time, costs have doubled, so people are facing both financial and safety pressures," said Anwar al-Mousawi, a local resident.
For many, a sense of frustration is growing the longer the current situation drags on, as civilians bear the consequences of a conflict they are not part of, and with no clear timeline for reopening Iraqi airspace, economic losses and public frustration are expected to deepen.
"The reality is, we are in a country that is not part of this war and did not start it, yet we are the ones paying the price," said al-Mousawi.
Iraq's aviation industry left grounded as Middle East crisis continues
