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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin pulls all the registers: he praises, he flatters-and even a “absolutely personal gift” he gave the US sender Steve Witkoff for his new friend Donald Trump: a portrait of the US president, painted by a prominent Russian artist. After the attack on Trump last summer, Putin “prayed for his friend,” said Witkoff recently after his meeting with the Kremlin boss in Moscow. Putin, at least trained intelligence officer, knows how to deal with the new US president. If he were to enter the Oval Office, which could happen in the future, he would come in a tailored suit, smiling friendly, not demanding.
