Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim

President Vladimir Putin met with Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim in Russia's north-western city of St Petersburg on January 26. The two leaders were photographed exchanging handshakes in a cordial greeting in the Twenty-Column Hall of the Hermitage. Following the greeting, President Putin and Sultan Ibrahim toured parts of the museum’s historic collections together.

The visit was made at President Putin’s special invitation, and Sultan Ibrahim is on what has been described as an inaugural special visit to St. Petersburg. This engagement underscores the continued diplomatic engagement between Russia and Malaysia, building on earlier contacts including Sultan Ibrahim’s state visit to Moscow in August 2025 — the first by a Malaysian ruler since diplomatic ties were established in 1967.