A framed photograph of President Donald Trump standing beside Russian President Vladimir Putin has been added to a prominent room inside the White House. The move has ignited international commentary.
Donald Trump adds new photos in White House Room
The newly displayed photo in The Palm Room shows both the leaders together during their August 2025 summit at a U.S. military base in Anchorage, Alaska. The meeting was Trump’s first in-person talks with Putin since returning to office and was aimed at advancing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Putin’s visit was historic, as it made him the first Russian president to set foot in Alaska, a territory Russia sold to the United States in the 19th century. Trump had frequently claimed on the campaign trail that he could resolve the Ukraine conflict within a day of taking office, but after the summit, he acknowledged that no deal had been reached. The summit itself sparked controversy, particularly after Trump rolled out a red carpet to welcome Putin, who has faced international isolation and accusations of war crimes following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump’s decision to display the photo inside a White House room prompted criticism from European officials. Marko Mihkelson, chair of Estonia’s foreign affairs committee, reacted strongly on X, writing, “If it is true that the U.S. president considers it appropriate to hang on the White House wall a photo of the greatest war criminal of the 21st century, then a just and sustainable peace will have to wait. Unfortunately.”
Despite the backlash, the U.S. President has continued engaging with Moscow. On January 19, Donald Trump invited Vladimir Putin to join his newly formed Board of Peace, an international body built around a 20-point plan to end global conflicts.
Additionally, directly beneath the Trump-Putin photo hangs a more personal photograph of the former with his youngest granddaughter, Carolina Dorothy Trump. The six-year-old is the daughter of Eric and Lara Trump.
