Snopes: Did Putin Declare the 1867 Sale of Alaska to the US 'Illegal' in January 2024? (They call it False)

News article: Putin Orders Hunt for Property of Russian Empire, Soviet Union (Bloomberg)

Crooks & Liars article: Putin Signs Decree Declaring Sale Of Alaska Null & Void

Related DU threads:
• Putin Signs Decree Declaring Sale Of Alaska Null & Void
• Putin Signs Decree Declaring Sale Of Alaska Null & Void

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Source: Snopes

Did Putin Declare the 1867 Sale of Alaska to the US 'Illegal' in January 2024?

by Aleksandra Wrona
Published Jan 22, 2024

Claim: In January 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the 1867 sale of Alaska to the United States was "illegal."

Rating: False

In 1867, the United States bought Alaska from the Russian Empire, significantly expanding its territory. Fast forward to January 2024: Amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and U.S. support for Ukraine, a rumor surfaced online. It claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the 1867 sale of Alaska "illegal." For instance, one Reddit post on the topic read, "Putin stokes tensions with US, declares 1867 sale of Alaska 'illegal.'"

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In sum, given that the decree signed by Putin did not declare that the 1867 sale of Alaska was "illegal" — or indeed mention Alaska at all — we have rated this claim as False.

The Institute for the Study of War, a nonprofit research group and think tank, underscored that, "The Kremlin may use the 'protection' of its claimed property in countries outside of its internationally recognized borders to forward soft power mechanisms in post-Soviet and neighboring states ultimately aimed at internal destabilization." In other words, the organization argues that Putin could use the excuse of protecting Russia's properties abroad to spread its influence and cause unrest in nearby countries.

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Read more: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/putin-alaska-illegal/

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Crooks & Liars cites Newsweek, which notes a suggestion by a Telegram user. Putin's decree does not mention Alaska.