US President Donald Trump has warmed up to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after he entered the White House for a second time earlier this year sparking concern among Western leaders
Russian despot Vladimir Putin gifted a portrait of Donald Trump to the US leader himself, Kremlin officials have confirmed.
Putin gave the painting to Mr Trump’s special envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff when he visited Moscow earlier this month, the despot’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists. The gift was mentioned by Mr Witkoff during an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
He told Mr Carlson that the US President was “clearly touched” by the portrait which he described as “beautiful.” Mr Witkoff met with the Russian leader amid talks to end the war in Ukraine.
During the interview, Mr Witkoff described the gift as “gracious” and revealed how Putin said he prayed for Mr Trump last year when he heard Mr Trump, then a presidential candidate, had been shot during a rally in Pennsylvania.
“He was praying for his friend,” Mr Witkoff said, recounting the comments, as reported by the Associated Press. It is not the first time Putin has invoked religion to gain the favour of a US Republican President.
Putin charmed former President George W. Bush while relations between the US and Russia were warming following the end of the Cold War with the Texan describing how Putin had relayed a story about how he saved an Orthodox cross from a dacha fire.
It was also not the first instance where Putin has given a portrait to a US leader, with him having done so with Mr Bush’s father George HW Bush on his 90th birthday in 2014. The Russian leader previously gave a Mr Trump a football that the secret service checked for listening devices before it was given to his son.
Mr Trump faced a different portrait dilemma earlier today when he slammed an artist for painting what he branded an “unflattering” portrait of him that is now hanging in Colorado’s State Capitol. The Republican demanded it be taken down and claimed his face had been “purposefully distorted.”
Trump wrote on TruthSocial: “Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves. But the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor… was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before.”
He said Sarah Boardman, the artist behind the painting, had created a “wonderful” portrait of Obama during his stint in the White House. Mr Trump added: “He looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older. In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one.”
He added: “Many people from Colorado have called and written to complain. They are actually angry about it! I am speaking on their behalf to the Radical Left Governor, Jared Polis, who is extremely weak on Crime, in particular with respect to Tren de Aragua, which practically took over Aurora (Don’t worry, we saved it!), to take it down. Jared should be ashamed of himself.”
