Russian President Vladimir Putin commissioned a portrait of his American counterpart and gifted it to Donald Trump, the Kremlin confirmed. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who said only Putin could offer more detail about the artwork, called it a “personal gift” from one leader to another. The portrait was first mentioned last week by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in an interview with Tucker Carlson. Witkoff said he received the “beautiful” painting, created by a “leading Russian artist,” during a visit to Moscow earlier this month, adding that Trump “was clearly touched” by the authoritarian’s gesture. While in Russia, Witkoff held talks with officials about ending the Ukraine war and briefly met with Putin. Ceasefire negotiations are still ongoing, with Russia and the U.S. holding marathon 12-hour talks on Monday. Meanwhile, a painting of Trump hanging alongside other presidential portraits in the Colorado State Capitol will be removed after he claimed it was “purposefully distorted,” the Associated Press reported, meaning there is a vacant spot for the Russian portrait in Denver.
