Video of William Ruto, Other African Presidents Lining Up to Get Ice Cream from Putin Emerges

A video from the Russia-Africa summit has gone viral after it showed African heads of state, including Kenya's President William Ruto, queuing up to collect ice cream presented as a gift by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Video of William Ruto and other African presidents getting ice cream from Putin emerges. Photo: The Citizen, William Samoei Ruto. Source: TwitterThe clip, which was filmed indoors at the summit venue, shows attendees and officials gathered near baskets of ice cream as part of what appeared to be an informal gesture during the high-level diplomatic event.

The only audio captured in the transcript is a brief phrase in Russian, "Всем большое спасибо!" meaning "Thank you all very much!"

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President Ruto was among the leaders seen near the gifting station, a moment that struck many online as a surprisingly casual scene within what is typically a stiff and formal diplomatic setting.

The contrast between the gravity of a Russia-Africa summit and the sight of presidents collecting frozen treats gave the video an unmistakably lighthearted quality.

The Russia-Africa summit brings together Russian officials and African heads of state to discuss bilateral trade, security cooperation, and geopolitical alignment.

Putin has in recent years made a deliberate effort to deepen Russia's ties with the African continent, and the summits have drawn significant international attention.

The ice cream gesture, while small, quickly captured public imagination, turning a routine diplomatic gathering into a moment that resonated far beyond the conference room.

Watch the moment African presidents lined up for Putin's ice cream gift:

In another report, President Ruto held bilateral talks with Russian President Putin in Moscow during the Third Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

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The discussions centred on expanding trade and investment, with Kenya seeking broader markets for agricultural exports like tea and coffee, alongside partnerships in infrastructure, technology, and energy.

The two leaders signed five memoranda of understanding on economic cooperation, and Ruto commended Putin for supporting reforms to give Africa a stronger voice in global governance.

Amondi Aroko (Entertainment editor) Amondi Aroko is an Entertainment Editor with nine years of experience in local and international media. She has worked at Family Media (Kenya), written for News Deeply, New York (USA) and done Africa news analysis on Arise News (Nigeria). Won the 2015 Local Heroes Journalism award by Deutsche Welle. Google News Initiative 2024 trainee and 2024 WAN-IFRA Media Leadership Accelerator Programme winner. Speaker at Code For Africa -media lab, and China trip attendee by CMG. Email: prisca.aroko@tuko.co.ke.