A US State Department report published in January 2024 revealed the most expensive gifts that President Joe Biden and his family received in 2023 from foreign leaders. Among them is a brooch from Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova, which was valued at $14,063.
This was reported by The Washington Post.
At the same time, the Ukrainian gift, according to the diplomat, has a symbolic rather than material value.
Markarova explained that the jewelry was created by Kharkiv-based jeweler Stanislav Drokin. He transforms the fragments of Russian missiles into exquisite artistic pieces made of titanium and bronze.
The brooch from the “Forget-me-nots” series, which became a symbol of resistance, was given to Markarova on US Independence Day, July 4, 2022.
“The cost of inexpensive materials is even ridiculous to mention, but the artistic value and significance of such a gift is priceless from my point of view. And, of course, Ukraine, which appreciates the support of its partners and has been defending itself against Russia for 10 years and especially for the last almost three years of full-scale war, does not buy or give expensive gifts,” Markarova emphasized.
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U.S. federal law requires that gifts from foreign leaders be declared if their value exceeds $480. More expensive items are usually donated to an archive or displayed publicly.
The most expensive gift in the published list was a $20,000 diamond from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Author: Danylo Pievchev