President Donald Trump presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with a gift of a hockey sweater and puck from Alexander Ovechkin at the two leaders’ summit in Helsinki, Finland on Monday, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
Putin reportedly gave Trump a soccer ball, making it a sports-themed exchange both ways.
Summit gifts: President Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a jersey belonging to Washington Capitals hockey player Alex Ovechkin, and a puck, according to Putin spokesman Dimitry Peskov.
— Rich Braham (@MoBetterNews) July 16, 2018
Putin gave Prez Trump a soccer ball during the press conference.
Trump met with Putin for a summit in the Nordic nation while on a trip to Europe where he also met with NATO allies.
Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals’ star, just won the Stanley Cup for the first time in his 13-year NHL career. Ovechkin supports Putin and made that support vocal as recently as last year, when Putin ran for re-election.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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