@sfleetucker @TwiHusband @gemswinc

This has been a thing for many Russians since the US "took" Alaska from them.

The tl;dr as best I remember it: Officials in both countries signed a treaty leasing Alaska to the US for (I forget how many) years. When the time was up, the original signatories were all dead, and the US just kept the land.

Source: oldest son was originally from Russia, came to the US as a teen, and he told me about this years ago.

@sfleetucker @TwiHusband @gemswinc

The conversation was sparked by me listening to Sting.

I was sitting at my computer and Sting's song "Russians" came on: ("I hope the Russians love their children too...")

He started laughing. He said the tune was the same as a Russian song that translated as "Give Us Our Alaska Back."

@Tarnagh The more I think about it, observing Putin's behavior and the behavior of the Russian government and Russian media at large, it feels like they're setting things up on the assumption that the fix is in. That Trump will be the next president. Otherwise, everything they're doing is useless, not to mention stupid.

Let's make them look stupid.@sfleetucker @gemswinc

@TwiHusband @sfleetucker @gemswinc

At least some of the current noise from Putin about this is probably because of this piece of news:

"The U.S. just expanded its territory by one million square kilometers" - A land mass ~60% the size of Alaska and the bulk of which is further into the Arctic Circle. The US could have no claim to that if it weren't for the fact that we own Alaska. To Russia, no we don't, and that land grab encroaches on their claim up there.

https://www.earth.com/news/the-u-s-just-expanded-its-territory-by-a-million-square-kilometers/

@Tarnagh Territorial waters are territorial waters. @sfleetucker @gemswinc

@Tarnagh The Department of State maintains that it was a straight up sale. No lease involved. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/alaska-purchase#:~:text=The%20purchase%20of%20Alaska%20in,in%20the%20Asia%2DPacific%20region. @sfleetucker @gemswinc

@TwiHusband @sfleetucker @gemswinc

I'm aware. That's not what Russians believe/have been told.

@sfleetucker @TwiHusband Then we need to convince MAGA that Alaska is the promised land.