Putin's Banter With Malaysian PM Over 'Second Wife' Goes Viral
During the meet, Putin asked the Malaysian PM a cheeky riddle during the tour of the Kremlin Palace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim shared a light-hearted moment by joking about marriage which had the entire hall bursting in laughter. The Russian leader recalled the incident during a joint press conference with Anwar.
Ibrahim met Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on Thursday, the first official visit by a Malaysian leader to Russia in nearly two decades.
During the meet, Putin asked the Malaysian PM a cheeky riddle during the tour of the Kremlin Palace. While showing Anwar the grand St. Andrew's Hall, Putin pointed out three thrones and asked a question to Ibrahim. 'There are three thrones; one of them is for the Czar, the second one is for his wife, and what do you think the third one is for?"
🇷🇺🇲🇾PUTIN'S ROYAL RIDDLE: HOW DID MALAYSIA'S PM CRACK THE CODE? pic.twitter.com/wQhdFGxIr2 — Sputnik (@SputnikInt) May 14, 2025
When asked who the third throne was for, Anwar cheekily replied, 'For the second wife!"—prompting laughter from both leaders. Anwar later clarified it was a trick question and the throne was meant for the mother.
Putin laughed and said, 'I hope he is not angry at me for saying these things," as the hall, filled with hundreds of attendees, erupted in laughter—including Ibrahim himself, who couldn't resist joining in.
While the light-hearted exchange grabbed attention, the meeting also held significant diplomatic weight, strengthening Malaysia-Russia trade relations, particularly in energy and defence sectors.
Reportedly, Ibrahim discussed the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 with the Russian President days after a UN report found Russia responsible for the disaster.
A UN aviation council found this week that Russia was responsible for the downing of MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014 during fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
Moscow has rejected the International Civil Aviation Organization Council's (ICAO) findings on the crash that killed all 298 passengers and crew, calling the ruling biased.
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First Published:
May 15, 2025, 22:53 IST
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