Awkward diplomatic moment as Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif gatecrashes into Putin–Erdogan meeting
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif found himself in an awkward diplomatic moment during his visit to Turkmenistan on Thursday for an international forum marking the 30th anniversary of the country’s permanent neutrality.
Sharif was scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the event.
However, according to a video shared by RT India, the Pakistani leader ended up entering a closed-door meeting between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after waiting nearly 40 minutes for his own engagement to begin.
❗️The Moment PM Sharif Gate-crashed Putin's Meeting With Erdogan After Waiting For 40 Mins https://t.co/r4L9XhA9IY pic.twitter.com/shi7YLMgmP
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) December 12, 2025
Sharif, accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, was seen waiting in an adjacent room before reportedly growing impatient and walking into the venue where Putin and Erdoğan were already engaged in discussions.
The Pakistani prime minister left the room roughly 10 minutes later.
The footage quickly circulated online, prompting a wave of mockery from social media users who framed the incident as a diplomatic blunder.
The forum itself marked three decades since the United Nations General Assembly unanimously recognised Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality on December 12, 1995, an official status that commits the Central Asian nation to remaining outside military alliances and avoiding involvement in conflicts except for self-defence.
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