Putin's gift after Trump's painting scandal − 'markedly moved'

  

 
Donald Trump
After the painting scandal – got a new one from Putin: "I was moved"

Johan Edgar

Published 23.06

Donald Trump was unhappy with the portrait in Colorado. Photo: AP

The painting made him angry.

But a secret gift from Putin made Trump happy again.

– He was noticeably moved.

He really hates it.

And the painting scandal means that the whole world has now seen the relatively unknown portrait that hangs on the wall of the Colorado state legislature.

Gift from Putin

But now Moscow is putting a band-aid on the wounds. A new portrait that he is said to have liked much better.

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff had the honor of dragging home the secret gift to the American president from Putin.

He describes the portrait as “a beautiful portrait” painted by “a prominent Russian artist,” writes the BBC.

But Witkoff did not want to review the work, the television channel reports.

           

           

          Vladimir Putin gave the new painting to Trump’s envoy.

          1 / 2Photo: Kristina Kormilitsyna / AP

“Personal gift”

– He was noticeably moved, says the envoy.

The gift was confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said it was “a personal gift” from the Russian president and that only Putin has the right to reveal further details about the portrait.

It has not yet been publicly displayed.

Witkoff, who met Putin in Moscow ten days ago, tells the BBC that he was very friendly during the meeting and, among other things, stated that he had prayed for Donald Trump after the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania during the election campaign.

The American envoy received a lot of criticism at home after he said he was “taking Putin at his word” during talks for a possible peace settlement.

 

Artist Sarah Boardman’s portrait of Trump and Obama. Photo: AP

“Deliberately distorted”

In an interview with Fox News where Witkoff was pressed on the image of Putin as a tyrant whose “political opponents often die,” the envoy hit back, saying he had “never been in a situation where there aren’t two sides to the same coin.”

The portrait in Colorado, which was unveiled in 2019, was painted by British artist Sarah Boardman, who has depicted several other presidents.

Trump accuses her of “deliberately distorting” his appearance “to a level that has perhaps never been seen before.”

The BBC suggests that it may be the fullness of the president’s face that triggered the anger. The TV channel states that Trump, according to his own account, lost almost 14 kilograms during the election campaign because he was very busy "and didn't have the opportunity to eat that much."