Putin's gift of a Trump portrait plays to the vanity of a president

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20250424-putin-gift-trump-portrait-plays-vanity-of-president-russia

Putin’s gift of a Trump portrait plays to the vanity of a president

Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented Donald Trump with a portrait by a well-known Russian artist depicting the US president in the moments following the attempt on his life in July.

In doing so, Putin may have found a way of playing to the vanity of the image-obsessed occupant of the White House.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is using a flattering work of art to curry favour with the White House.


A portrait of US President Donald Trump in heroic pose, painted by Russian artist Nikas Safronov and given to the American president in March, was unveiled by CNN and the Russian news agency RIA Novosti on Tuesday.


The details of the portrait – which Putin presented last month to Washington's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff – had been something of a mystery.

Even White House aides preferred to say as little as possible. All that was known was that Trump was “clearly touched by it”, Witkoff said in an interview.

It was not clear whether the portrait has been checked for bugs.