Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the Order of Lenin award to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to pass along to a senior CIA official whose son died fighting for Russia in Ukraine, CBS News reported on Aug. 8.
The award was meant to be presented through Witkoff to Juliane Gallina, the deputy director for digital innovation at the CIA whose son, Michael Gloss, was killed in 2024, according to CBS News.
Witkoff received the award earlier this week during peace talks with Putin in Moscow, several sources familiar with the meeting told the news agency.
When asked by reporters during a news conference in the Oval Office to confirm whether Witkoff had received the award, U.S. President Donald Trump replied: "He (Putin) likes Mr. Witkoff, I can tell you that. That's true."
Putin has been known to exert psychological tactics to expose adversaries' points of weakness. The award was likely given as a means to provoke questions as to why relative of a high-ranking U.S. intelligence official was fighting for the Russian military.
Gloss, who reportedly suffered from mental health challenged, was killed fighting for Russia at aged 21 after moving to Moscow and voicing his support for Russia's military.
In an interview with the Washington Post in April following Gloss' death, his father, Larry Gloss, said that both he and Gallina did not know their son had enlisted in the Russian military.
The Order of Lenin serves in the namesake of Soviet revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin and is awarded to highlight outstanding civilian service. It was not immediately clear as to what was done with the award.
Putin's presentation of the award comes ahead of a planned peace summit with Trump tentatively set for late next week.
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