New Delhi, December 12: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin took an awkward twist at an international forum in Turkmenistan on Friday. The event marked the 30th anniversary of the country's permanent neutrality, where Sharif was slated for a sideline bilateral with Putin - but a 40-minute delay in the Russian leader's packed schedule changed everything.

Growing impatient after waiting in a nearby room alongside Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Sharif reportedly walked into the room where Putin was already deep in closed-door talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hoping for at least a brief exchange. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir Meet US President Donald Trump at White House (Watch Video).

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Gate-Crashed Vladimir Putin’s Meeting With Erdogan

Video footage shared by RT India captured the unexpected intrusion, showing Sharif lingering for about 10 minutes before quietly exiting. The viral clip has sparked widespread online mockery, with social media users branding it a diplomatic blunder and poking fun at the PM's bold move amid high-stakes global diplomacy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2025 07:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).