Two?[Jpost] Alaska senators called for further preparedness in the Bering Strait in case more Russians begin seeking asylum.
Two Russian nationals landed at a beach on Alaska's St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Strait and requested asylum in the US, the offices of US Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan announced on Thursday evening.
The two refugees landed at a beach near Gambell, an isolated community on the northwestern part of St. Lawrence Island. Gambell is located about 46 miles (75 kilometers) from the closest Russian community across the Strait.
“We are actively engaged with federal officials and residents in Gambell to determine who these individuals are, but right now, we already know that the federal response was lacking," said Murkowski. "Only local officials and state law enforcement had the capability to immediately respond to the asylum seekers, while Customs and Border Protection had to dispatch a Coast Guard aircraft from over 750 miles away to get on scene."
In July, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin warned that Russia could demand Alaska back if the US continued seizing Russian resources.
"Decency is not a weakness. We always have something a response. Let America always remember that there is part of its territory, Alaska. When they start trying to dispose of our resources abroad, before doing so, let them think that we also have something to claim back," said Volodin.
Russia colonized Alaska in the late 1700s but sold the territory to the US in 1867.