Putin Became a Meme After Meeting with the President of Mozambique

Vladimir Putin became the subject of online jokes following his meeting with Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi in Moscow. Social media users noticed the striking difference in height between the two leaders and created a series of memes and cartoons. At the same time, some commenters criticized Nyusi himself for visiting Russia and meeting with Putin.

 

On October 27, the “Russia–Africa” forum took place in Moscow. Among the participants was Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, who met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. One of the photos taken together, in which the politicians are standing face-to-face and shaking hands, quickly caught the attention of social media users. The difference in height between the two presidents is particularly noticeable in the photo. This became the basis for numerous jokes about Putin, who appears significantly shorter next to his African counterpart.

 

According to data cited in the post, Philippe Nyusi is over two meters tall, while Putin is estimated to be less than 170 centimeters tall. This difference caught the attention of social media users, who began actively sharing the photo and creating memes based on it.

Memes and caricatures were created online

X users didn’t stop at commenting on the original photo. Some of them turned the photo into caricatures, depicting Putin as a goblin. Others joked about how the Russian president looks next to the tall Mozambican leader.

 

Some commenters specifically noted the angle of the photograph. In their opinion, official Russian photographers would hardly have chosen such a shot for publication, as it highlights the height difference between the politicians. Among the comments under the photo were the following:

• “In case anyone’s wondering, no, this isn’t artificial intelligence. He really is that tall.”
• “Ha, Kremlin photographers wouldn’t have used this angle.”
• “The President of Mozambique is very tall; next to him, Putin looks like a little boy.”
• “No, he literally towered over him.”
• “How dare you make Putin look like a little man!”
• “Putin didn’t expect to have to stretch his neck like that during the meeting.”

 

Thus, a routine handshake at an official event sparked a wave of ironic posts. Users discussed not only the politicians’ heights but also how a single photograph can change the perception of a meeting.

Not all comments were about Putin’s height

Aside from the jokes, some users drew attention to the very fact of Filipe Nyusi’s visit to Moscow. Commenters criticized the Mozambican president for meeting with Putin, who is waging a full-scale war against Ukraine. Posts expressed outrage that the leader of the African nation had traveled to Russia and shaken hands with the Russian president. Some users questioned the wisdom of such a meeting and reproached Nyusi for participating in the forum. Among the critical comments were the following:

 

• “The very fact that you’re going to Moscow for an African summit is pathetic, lol.”
• “Why are you associating with wanted criminals?”
• “An African summit in Moscow. Did you pay for this humiliation?”
• “What kind of worthless person would agree to a terrorist’s invitation?”

Thus, the reaction to the meeting was mixed. Some users focused on the difference in the presidents’ heights and created memes, while others criticized the diplomatic contact with the Russian leader. The photo of Putin and Nyusi together went viral on social media precisely because it combined these two themes: mockery of the Russian president’s appearance and discussion of the African leader’s visit to Moscow. The photo was posted on Network X.