Fact Check: Did Pakistan PM Sharif Interrupt Putin's Meeting with Erdogan? Debunking the Viral Video

The now-deleted video purportedly showed Sharif and his delegation waiting for 40 minutes in a room.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif became the subject of widespread social media criticism after a viral video allegedly depicted him "gatecrashing" a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to content shared by RT India, Sharif supposedly walked into a private meeting between President Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after experiencing delays in his own scheduled bilateral discussion with the Russian leader.

RT India has since removed the video. Evidence suggests it was likely a deepfake, as no official statements from either Russian or Pakistani authorities have confirmed Sharif's alleged accidental interruption of the closed-door meeting between Putin and Erdogan.

Following the deletion of their post, RT India clarified on X (formerly Twitter): "We deleted an earlier post about Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif waiting to meet Vladimir Putin at the Peace and Trust Forum in Turkmenistan. The post may have been a misrepresentation of the events."

The controversial video that circulated widely across social media platforms appeared to show Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif waiting impatiently for 40 minutes alongside his delegation. The footage further suggested that a seemingly frustrated Sharif decided to enter the venue where Putin was engaged in discussions with Turkish President Erdogan, hoping to secure even a brief interaction.

The forum represented a significant milestone for Turkmenistan, whose permanent neutrality status was unanimously recognized by the UN General Assembly on December 12, 1995. This status commits Turkmenistan to avoiding military alliances, refraining from conflict involvement except in self-defense, and generally prohibiting foreign military bases within its territory.