According to Vedomosti, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov drew attention to the décor of the Diaoyutai residence in Beijing, where President Vladimir Putin was holding bilateral talks during his official visit.
Surveying the room decorated with matryoshka dolls and other figurines, Lavrov quipped: «And where is Labubu?»
The remark referred to the widely popular toy monster known for its fluffy fur and toothy grin, which has become part of contemporary pop culture. Russian Alfa-Bank recently announced a payment card featuring the toy, while the word «Labubu» has firmly entered everyday Russian usage. Data from the «Word of the Year» project shows it ranked among the top 40 most frequently used terms by Russian speakers worldwide.
