Giant inflatable Trump and Putin appear outside European Council

Two giant inflatable figures of US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin briefly appeared outside the European Council building in Brussels to draw attention to climate policy and geopolitical concerns.

The inflatables, each several metres high, were placed in the European Quarter on Rue de la Loi by environmental group Greenpeace, attracting the attention of pedestrians, diplomats and officials arriving for meetings at the European Council building.

Greenpeace said that the action was meant to highlight what it views as global leadership failures on climate change and the need for stronger action from world powers.

Protesters held banners calling for greater commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and criticised what they described as insufficient climate ambition from major emitters such as Russia and the United States.

The demonstration remained peaceful, and no arrests were reported. Police maintained a presence in the area to ensure public order and clear pedestrian access.

Greenpeace said the symbolic portrayal of Trump and Putin reflected the organisation’s call for more decisive engagement from key countries ahead of upcoming international climate discussions.

The group has previously staged similar actions in Brussels to spotlight environmental issues and urge faster implementation of European and global climate goals.