Biden gifts Putin aviator sunglasses

Trump and Putin during a previous meeting.

(archive photo)

During his first summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16, US President Joe Biden chose to present him with his favorite Viettor "aviator" sunglasses, made by an American company.

Peter Vaskevits, president of Randolph Engineering, said he was "surprised" to see glasses designed by his company presented as a diplomatic gift during a meeting that was followed by the media around the world.

He added, "It was a normal working day until the phones started ringing at noon and we saw a lot of interaction on social media, when we realized what was happening," describing this moment as "very happy."

"It's amazing, isn't it? I mean, how often do you get an opportunity like this?"

The military usually wears this type of glasses...and the Russian president may soon use them.

The company has concluded a contract with the US Army since 1978 and supplies it with about 25,000 sunglasses every month, in addition to what it sells to the public.

Known as "Concorde" in reference to the supersonic aircraft, each pair of these gold-rimmed glasses requires 200 stages and lasts six weeks to make.

These glasses are produced in a small town in the state of Massachusetts, located in the northeast of the country.

The company was founded in 1973 and boasts on its website of its "American family values" and its desire not to move its factory outside the United States.

"I'm sure President Biden presented these glasses to Putin as a symbol of our national heritage," says the company's president.

"Let's hope it will be a symbol of peace," he adds.

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