On Monday, the Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has gifted a personally commissioned portrait to former U.S. President Donald Trump. The revelation came after Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, received the painting in Moscow. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for President Putin, acknowledged the exchange when queried by journalists but refrained from providing additional details.
The existence of the portrait was first brought to light by Witkoff last week during an interview with Tucker Carlson, a former host of Fox News. Witkoff expressed that Trump appeared genuinely moved by the gesture, describing the painting as “beautiful.” The meeting between Witkoff and Putin transpired after discussions on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Meanwhile, efforts to broker a ceasefire progressed in Saudi Arabia on Monday, where U.S. representatives engaged with both Russian and Ukrainian negotiators.
During his conversation with Carlson, Witkoff characterized Putin’s gesture as “gracious” and shared an anecdote about Putin’s concern for Trump when the latter was attacked at a rally in Pennsylvania. According to Witkoff, Putin had prayed for Trump, whom he referred to as a friend.
This is not the first instance of Putin presenting gifts to sitting U.S. presidents. In 2018, he gave President Trump a soccer ball that underwent inspection by the Secret Service to ensure it contained no listening devices. This precaution was reminiscent of a 1945 incident when a carving of the Great Seal of the United States, gifted to U.S. Ambassador Averell Harriman from Soviet schoolchildren, was later discovered to house covert listening apparatus. As of now, there is no information on whether the portrait has been similarly scrutinized for surveillance equipment. The White House has yet to comment on the matter.
Over the years, Putin has given gifts to various U.S. leaders. In 2021, he presented then-President Joe Biden with a $12,000 lacquer writing box and pen during their meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. In earlier years, such as 2013, Putin sent porcelain plates and espresso cups to President Barack Obama. He also reportedly dispatched a portrait to George H.W. Bush in 2014 to mark the former president’s 90th birthday.