During a visit to Moscow, US special envoys for President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, reportedly received down jackets featuring the inscription RUSSIA and the symbols of the Russian Federation from their hosts. According to reports, a similar garment—a white down jacket with the RUSSIA logo, styled after the Olympic team uniform—was worn by Vladimir Putin's representative Kirill Dmitriev at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. It was this specific look, according to Witkoff, that caught the American negotiator's attention.
Gifts at the airport and in the Kremlin
According to Russian media reports, similar jackets were presented to the American envoys during their meeting in the Kremlin. In addition to the RUSSIA inscription, the jackets featured the Russian coat of arms. Thus, the gesture was not a one-off: the outfit Dmitriev showcased at the airport was replicated as a gift for the guests. The meeting between Witkoff and Kushner and Vladimir Putin reportedly took place on November 12 and focused on the results of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
Online reaction
After the visit, photos began to appear on social media showing the American envoys posing with the gifts. The publication triggered an active debate: some users criticized the negotiators for accepting and displaying clothing bearing Russian state symbols. The images quickly circulated across online platforms and became a subject of discussion regarding diplomatic etiquette and the symbolic significance of such gestures.
Negotiation context
The visit of the American representatives to Russia was part of a series of diplomatic contacts regarding conflict resolution. On November 11, two-day negotiations in the Ukraine-US-Russia format concluded in Abu Dhabi. As a result, the parties reportedly agreed on a large-scale prisoner exchange. However, according to RBK-Ukraine sources, the Russian side refused to discuss a ceasefire. Following the meeting with Putin, Witkoff and Kushner were scheduled to travel to Dublin, where they were expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had arrived in the Irish capital to attend the European Political Community summit.
Significance of the gesture
The gift of down jackets with the RUSSIA inscription and the Russian coat of arms became a notable visual focal point of the visit and was perceived by observers as a symbolic gesture. On one hand, such gifts are often used in diplomatic practice as a gesture of hospitality; on the other hand, in the context of an ongoing conflict and active negotiations, any public display of national symbols by an adversary is interpreted ambiguously. Ultimately, the photos with the jackets turned into an independent news story, detached from the substance of the meeting itself, sparking controversy over the appropriateness of such gestures within the diplomatic process.
