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An AI-generated video posted by the Russian Embassy in Kenya has gone viral for showing President Vladimir Putin dressed as Santa Claus and distributing symbolic Christmas gifts to world leaders. The festive visuals carry clear geopolitical messages about alliances, rivalries and global power shifts.

In the video, Putin appears in a Santa Claus outfit, walking toward a decorated Christmas tree stacked with gifts. Each gift is meant for a different global leader and represents Russia’s relationship with that country.

China: De-dollarisation and economic alignment
Putin’s first gift is shown for Chinese President Xi Jinping. The video depicts Chinese yuan and Russian ruble ornaments being placed together on the Christmas tree. Moments later, a dollar-shaped ornament falls from the tree and shatters on the ground.

The imagery suggests a growing economic alignment between Moscow and Beijing and their shared push to reduce reliance on the US dollar. In recent months, the Russian ruble has emerged as one of the strongest-performing currencies globally, buoyed by strict capital controls, high interest rates and reduced demand for foreign currencies due to Western sanctions, Moscow Times reported.

According to Russia’s Central Bank, the ruble now accounts for over half of the country’s export and import payments, while the use of currencies from Western nations has dropped to historic lows. Russian officials, including Putin, have repeatedly promoted de-dollarisation as a way to shield the economy from Western pressure, even as analysts warn the system relies on complex and opaque financial arrangements.

India: Defence partnership and fighter jets
For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the video shows Putin gifting a miniature replica of the Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jet, underlining long-standing defence ties between India and Russia.

The symbolism comes amid renewed discussions over India’s future fighter aircraft needs. Russian defence officials have recently offered extensive technology transfer for the Su-57, including engines, radar systems and stealth technology, with the possibility of manufacturing the aircraft in India.

United States: A reminder of Alaska Peace Summit
Putin’s gift to US President Donald Trump is shown as an image of their meeting on the sidelines of a peace summit in Alaska, recalling their high-profile encounter earlier this year.

The Alaska meeting, marked by a dramatic flypast involving US F-35 jets and a B-2 stealth bomber, ended without a concrete peace deal on Ukraine.

While Trump later described the talks as “productive,” senior Russian officials have since said the momentum from the meeting has faded.

Turkey: Nuclear energy cooperation
For Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Putin presents a snow globe bearing the word “Akkuyu,” referring to Turkey’s first nuclear power plant being built by Russia’s state-owned Rosatom.

Russia recently provided additional financing for the Akkuyu nuclear project, which is expected to become operational in 2026 after delays.

Ukraine: A stark and controversial message
The most provocative scene in the video shows Putin gifting handcuffs to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and depicting him behind bars, a clear reference to the ongoing war that is approaching its fourth year.

Russia has previously placed Zelenskyy on a wanted list, a move Kyiv dismissed as propaganda. The imagery reinforces Moscow’s hardline stance on Ukraine and reflects the Kremlin’s continued framing of the conflict as a “special military operation,” despite widespread international condemnation, news agency AP reported.

North Korea: Gratitude and strategic closeness
For North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Putin is shown gifting a sword along with a note reading, “From Russia with gratitude.” The gesture recalls their 2019 meeting in Vladivostok, where the two leaders exchanged ceremonial weapons, including a Korean sword and a Russian saber, as symbols of mutual respect and strength, Russian state agency TASS reported.

Russia and North Korea have since deepened ties, particularly amid Moscow’s war in Ukraine, with both sides stressing political alignment, military cooperation, and shared opposition to Western influence.

The video concludes with a sweeping pan of a city illuminated with Christmas decorations and festive lights.

 

🎁 Christmas season is the time of giving, when Russia makes sure that all of its friends get something nice and are well and merry.

As for the naughty ones, they too will get what is coming for them. pic.twitter.com/NqRnm0v3BG

— Russian Embassy in Kenya/Посольство России в Кении (@russembkenya) December 28, 2025