When Donald Trump looks into the eyes of Vladimir Putin this week and decides whether he is serious about peace, it will be in Alaska: the American state on the front line of a new Cold War between Moscow and Washington.

The US has increasingly been forced to scramble warships and fighter jets since the invasion of Ukraine, with Russia and its ally China venturing ever closer to Alaska’s coast.

The Pentagon is looking at reopening its Cold War-era bases in the state in a move that would greatly expand its footprint in the region and signal a grasp for Arctic dominance.

“The Cold War is back,” said Mark Hayward, a former army medic who lives in Nome, on Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. “And in many ways, it’s hotter than the Cold War was.”

The Arctic’s melting sea ice has opened up traditional chokepoints like the Bering Strait, which lies between Alaska and Russia. It has meant new trade routes, more opportunity for military movement by naval and submarine patrols, and sent superpowers scrambling to assert themselves in the region.

US officials openly admit there has been an increase in Russian and Chinese activity – the two often operate in tandem – off the coast of Alaska since 2022.

Late last month, Russian Tu-95 bombers and Su-35 fighters jets were intercepted by the US Air Force when they crossed into the Alaskan Air Defence Identification Zone (Adiz) – though they steered clear of US air space.