Putin Hosts Malaysia’s King in First State Visit Since 1967

This photograph distributed by Russia’s state agency shows Vladimir Putin and King Sultan Ibrahim in Moscow on Aug. 6. — This photograph distributed by Russia’s state agency shows Vladimir Putin and King Sultan Ibrahim in Moscow on Aug. 6.Photographer: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images

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By Anisah Shukry

August 6, 2025 at 8:26 AM EDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar at the Kremlin on Wednesday, as the two nations look to shore up ties amid shifting global alliances.

It’s the first state visit of a monarch from Malaysia to Russia since diplomatic relations were established with the Soviet Union in 1967.