June 17, 2021: President Joe Biden presented Vladimir Putin with a pair of “custom aviator” sunglasses and a crystal statue of an American bison during his summit in Geneva on Wednesday.
The White House confirmed that Mr Biden had given the Russian president a diplomatic gesture from USA, in the form of sunglasses designed by Randolph USA for combat pilots. The company said in a statement that it had “provided its military and NATO partners with a range of high-end, sustainable aviators, both domestically manufactured at its Massachusetts factory.”
Mr Biden also presented Mr Putin with a statue of an American bison in which New York’s Steuben Glass represented one of America’s “most passionate mammals”. The White House said the artwork “represents strength, unity and resilience”. Diplomats and politicians have long given gifts to foreign dignitaries. The National Museum of American Diplomacy states that “a gift of the state often captures the essence of a nation, chosen for its unique culture and ability to show pride in its people.”
“Presidents, first ladies, the US Secretary of State and other US leaders give a wide range of gifts, including jewelry, fine books about the United States, jewelry or silver engravings,” they said. In this example, however, observers are taking a closer look at the meaning of such gestures between the two presidents, as tensions between the two nations persist.
After the much-anticipated meeting, which ended Biden’s trip abroad as president, Mr Putin said there had been “no animosity” but no significant progress in policy. Prior to the meeting, the two leaders agreed that relations between the two countries were at a historic “low point”. The couple smiled and shook hands as they met in Geneva, which lasted less than four hours. Mr Putin told a news conference after the meeting that “this meeting has been very effective indeed.”
“Its purpose was to achieve results and one of them was pushing back the frontiers of trust.”
Ahead of the summit, the White House announced that the two leaders would hold separate news conferences to avoid the Russian leader’s elevation. According to CNN, Mr. Biden said in his conference remarks, “I must say the tone of the whole meeting, it was four hours yesterday, was good. It is positive.”
