Video from Malaysia shared as German minister 'being snubbed' during India visit

What is the claim?

A 17-second clip circulating on social media shows German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock descending the steps of an aircraft. The video is accompanied by claims that Baerbock was snubbed as she did not receive a formal welcome during her recent visit to India.

The same video has also gone viral with a claim that Baerbock received no formal greeting at the airport in China.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) shared the video with the caption, “German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock appeared surprised when she arrived in India to find no formal welcome on the tarmac.”

Another user posted the video with the caption, “No one came to greet German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the airport while she was visiting China (translated from Turkish using Google Translate)." At the time of writing, this video had amassed over 1.9 million views and more than 6,000 likes. Archived versions of these posts can be found here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Screenshots of the similar claims posted by social media users. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

Multiple media outlets, including India Herald, Aaj TV, and Dawn News, have reported on the video, asserting that it shows Baerbock not being welcomed upon her arrival in China.

Baerbock recently visited India from October 24 to 28 as part of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-day official visit. During this time, she met with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. She is also expected to visit China soon, though details of her trip remain unclear.

This isn’t the first time Baerbock’s airport arrival has stirred controversy. In March 2023, a similar video went viral showing her descending from her plane alone, without a red carpet or any Indian officials present to welcome her.

However, our investigation reveals that the video going viral now actually shows Baerbock arriving in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, dating back to January 2024.

What are the facts?

A Google search in German led us to a similar video uploaded on the website of the German photo agency Picture-Alliance in January 2024. The video is credited to ‘picture-alliance/dpa | Michael Kappeler,’ and its description states, “Annalena Baerbock (Bündnis90/Die Grünen), Foreign Minister, arrives at Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia.”

Screenshot of a video of Baerbock arriving in Malaysia in January 2024. (Source: Picture-Alliance/Modified by Logically Facts)

In the agency's video, taken from a different angle, Baerbock is seen wearing the same outfit as in the viral video. At the 30-second mark, she can be observed touching the railing a couple of times while descending, mirroring actions in the viral clip. Furthermore, timestamps 38 to 43 seconds show a man wearing glasses behind her and another individual pointing the way, consistent with the viral video.

We also found similar videos posted by the German Information Centre Southeast Asia and the German Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on their Facebook and Instagram pages in January 2024 (archived here and here). These videos feature Baerbock during her arrival in Malaysia, confirming that the viral clip is from Malaysia and unrelated to her recent visit to India or China.

Additionally, we discovered similar photos published by various news agencies, including Getty Images and Europa Press, indicating that Baerbock arrived at the airport in Kuala Lumpur in January 2024.

Screenshot of one of the photos of Baerbock's arrival at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January 2024. (Source: Getty Images) 

While we could not independently confirm whether she was welcomed upon her arrival in Malaysia, German journalist Florian Warweg wrote on X (archived here) that Baerbock's aircraft was forced to land unexpectedly at a different part of the airport, resulting in the absence of the welcome delegation when she deboarded.

Baerbock's 2023 visit to India

In March 2023, a similar controversy surfaced over claims that Baerbock had not received a formal welcome upon her arrival in India. German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann later clarified that Baerbock's plane had landed slightly ahead of schedule, prompting her to disembark without the receiving line—a matter he described as “entirely a German issue.” He also praised the Indian protocol team, stating they had done “outstanding work.”

The verdict

The video showing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving at an airport was filmed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during her visit to Southeast Asia in January 2024. It is unrelated to her recent visit to India or her upcoming trip to China.