MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. Russia and the US can accomplish great things in the Arctic region if they work together, Nikita Lipunov, an Arctic specialist, junior research fellow at the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University of the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS.

"The meeting of Russian and US presidents, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, in Alaska is a reminder that Russia and the United States not only have a common border, but also common interests in the Arctic. Though the Ukrainian crisis is certainly at the forefront, the agenda of the Anchorage summit covers a wide range of bilateral issues, including in the Arctic. Indeed, Russia and the US have very good prospects for resuming cooperation beyond the Arctic Circle," he said.

"The potential for Russian-American cooperation in the Arctic is not limited to energy alone," the expert noted. "We could also be talking about scientific research in a broad sense, whether it be joint scientific expeditions or data exchange, even though science is far from a priority for the current American administration. In the first months of his presidency, Trump significantly cut funding for polar research in both the Arctic and Antarctic. In addition to science, possible Russian-American cooperation in high latitudes covers areas such as navigation, search and rescue, and high technology," he explained.

Lipunov urged "not to forget that Trump is guided primarily by America's national interests, so he would interested in any deal on the Arctic which could bring economic benefits to the US."

"The choice of location for the first Russian-American summit in four years is quite symbolic and quite elegant. Holding the meeting on American soil, not in some third country, European or Middle Eastern, is first and foremost a signal that the two largest nuclear powers do not need intermediaries for dialogue," he concluded.

Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said on August 14 that the meeting between Putin and Trump will begin on August 15 in Anchorage at 10:30 p.m. Moscow time (7:30 p.m. GMT), opening with a one-on-one conversation. The summit will center around the settlement of the Ukraine crisis, but the leaders will discuss other issues as well, he added.