Newsman: President Joe Biden gifted Russian President Vladimir Putin a pair of custom Aviators sunglasses made by Randolph USA during their summit on Wednesday, according to a White House official. Putin also received a crystal sculpture of an American bison. The crystal sculpture of the American bison represents strength, unity and resilience, the official said. The American bison has been the national mammal of the US since 2016, when President Barack Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act into law. The sculpture had a cherry wood base in order to symbolize former US President George Washington, as well as a custom engraved inscription plaque to commemorate the meeting between the two leaders, according to the official.
The sunglasses are made by an American company that has provided them to the US military and its NATO partners. President Joe Biden’s longtime affection for gold-rimmed aviator Ray-Bans was on display this week when he gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a custom pair of aviators. Biden has been a frequent fan of aviators, often spotted wearing Ray-Bans at White House functions. But Randolph USA CEO Peter Waszkiewicz told CBSN Boston that the style gifted to Putin is called the Concorde.
The gift of aviators with ties to NATO is symbolic and comes on the heels of a summit of the defense alliance in Brussels that Biden attended. During that summit, Biden reaffirmed the US’ commitment to the military alliance and urged western allies to better align themselves against Russia and China.
The company, Randolph USA, manufactures its aviators in Massachusetts, the official said. In 1978, the company joined forces with the US military to produce the HGU-4/P Aviator, which was designed for fighter pilots, according to the official.
“In Russia, over the past 20 years, European bison were reintroduced by rewilding numerous sites after their extinction in 1927,” according to the official.
Biden said in press conference that he focused on human rights and obtaining a stable relationship with Russia during their high-stakes talks.
Gift-giving between heads of state is a centuries-old tradition, according to the National Archives. The gifts are seen as a gesture of friendship, cooperation and diplomacy.
During the G-7 summit Biden gifted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a custom-made bicycle. Bilenky Cycle Works told the Washington Post that the State Department paid $1,800 for the bicycle, which normally costs $6,000. Johnson gifted Biden with a photograph of a mural of Fredrick Douglass. The photo was taken by Melissa Highton.
“The phone started going off the hook, social media was going crazy,” Randolph USA CEO Peter Waszkiewicz said. “We knew then that OK something happened” according to the CBSN Boston. Waszkiewicz said the style gifted to Putin is called the Concorde.
