Vladimir Putin was repeatedly dwarfed by visiting dignitaries during the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow this week, producing a series of unflattering photographs that the Kremlin reportedly sought to avoid publishing. The 74-year-old Russian president, who stands at a modest 5ft 7in, was seen looking up sharply at taller leaders during red-carpet greetings.
Awkward handshake with Mozambique's president
The most awkward moment came when Putin stepped forward to shake hands with Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo, who is believed to stand at least 6ft 5in tall. Chapo cast a massive shadow over the Russian leader, who was forced to crane his neck sharply upwards just to make eye contact while offering a strained, tight-lipped smile.
Although Kremlin photographers were present for the greeting, state media opted against releasing the image. However, Chapo shared the picture on his own social media channels alongside international photo agencies, prompting a wave of online mockery. One viral parody reimagined Chapo as the Lord of the Rings wizard Gandalf greeting a barefoot hobbit in the heart of the Kremlin.
Other leaders out-measured Putin
It was not an isolated embarrassment during the two-day Moscow showcase. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit, sporting his trademark black cowboy hat and leaning on a walking stick, easily loomed over the Kremlin chief during their handshake.
Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, Mauritania's Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, the Central African Republic's Faustin-Archange Touadéra, and the Republic of the Congo's Denis Sassou Nguesso all effortlessly out-measured their host. Even when greeting female delegates, such as Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo and another visiting dignitary dressed in a striking bronze headwrap, Putin failed to project the towering physical dominance his state television networks spend millions trying to manufacture.
Long-standing sensitivity over height
Putin's sensitivity regarding his height has been an open secret in Westminster and diplomatic circles for decades, frequently earning him diagnoses of "small man syndrome" and a classic "Napoleon complex". In 2022, following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace branded the Russian leader a "lunatic" who possessed small man syndrome "in spades", while Conservative MP Julian Lewis told the House of Commons that the dictator was "firmly in the grip" of the condition.
Former Prime Minister and Chancellor Gordon Brown also previously recalled a 2006 meeting in Moscow where he was deliberately placed in a comically low chair so that he would be forced to look up at the Russian president, who was already sporting a pair of stacked heels. Just two months ago, an unedited camera angle during a Russian State Council Presidium meeting revealed smart dress shoes fitted with massive two-to-three-inch block heels.
At this week's summit, however, there were no low chairs or table skirts to hide behind, leaving the world with a crystal-clear view of the photographs the Kremlin wished had stayed on the cutting room floor. Getty Images has published every single image of him looking short.
