Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got a little too close for comfort on Nov. 19, 2015 at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
World leaders are not exempt from sharing an awkward moment or striking a funny pose. Sometimes, the otherwise serious figures are snapped in a not-so-official and very relatable manner. Some are caught falling, others while sneaking in a kiss on the nose.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban trailed behind former Luxembourg Prime Minister and current President of the European Commission while clutching his hand.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman smooched Kuwaiti Emir Sabah IV Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the nose.
Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi cuddled former UAE Emir Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif cackled alongside his counterparts at a UN meeting in Vienna.
Russian President Vladimir Putin received an extra warm welcome by Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi on his Oct. 5 visit to India.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama was left empty handed during a 2015 visit by the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Secretary General Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un struck a lonely pose despite standing among a crowd during a photo session with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and other top officials.
Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met on the edge of glory as they greeted one another at the demilitarized zone at the border.
Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in awkwardly encountered each other once again on May 26 at the border town of Panmunjom.
U.S. Senator John McCain stole the show with his crude facial expressions as he trailed behind Barack Obama at the Hofstra University on Oct. 15, 2008.
Barack Obama made clear his feelings while sitting beside Russian President Vladimir Putin in Los Cabos in July 2012.
World leaders have awkward encounters too
Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron embraced each other in April 2018.
U.S. Donald Trump was given the cold shoulder by Putin during the 2017 G20 summit.
Trump received the same treatment by Trudeau, who visited Washing in February 2017.
Macron and Trump came together for a tense meeting ahead of the 73rd UN General Assembly in New York.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Macron know how to have fun.
Merkel and Putin got into a staring contest in Moscow in Nov. 2012.
Merkel did not seem amused by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
Merkel and Chili President Sebastian Pinera greeted one another as old friends.
Merkel seemed shocked at what former Turkish Premier Binali Yıldırım was saying at the Munich Security Conference in February 2018.
Trump looked very jealous of the warm interaction between Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Brussels at the NATO summit.
Trump had too much fun beside Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte at the 2018 ASEAN summit.
Trump wasn’t as happy as Japanese President Shinzo Abe during a meeting in November 2017.
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev watched the 2018 FIFA World Cup quarter final match between Croatia and Russia together.
State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc were supposed to pose together following an event in Hanoi.
Trump had an outburst at the 2017 NATO summit, and gently pushed aside Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic to be in the spotlight.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker greeted one another at the Salzburg summit in Austria.
Former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron had an awkward high five with Juncker as well.
Japan’s Shinzo Abe was visibly relieved after Trump finally let go of his hand following a 19-second handshake in February 2017.
Trump had a frightening look on his face following his meeting with Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018.
Liberia’s President George Weah and Chinese President Xi Jinping attempted to shake hands before a meeting in Sept. 2018.
Weah and Macron shared a quiet moment.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Spanish President Pedro Sanchez embraced warmly.
There was a certain disconnect between Sanchez and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in September 2018.
Another awkward encounter, this time between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
Tsipras and Merkel look like they’re up to something.
It was all smiles at the NATO summit.
Merkel and Erdoğan met at the 2013 G20 summit in Russia.
Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got a little too close for comfort on Nov. 19, 2015 at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
