Looking somewhat pale, Putin met with Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev at the sumptuous Konstantinov's Palace just outside Saint Petersburg, an AFP correspondent reported.
Putin, commenting on suggestions that he had been forced to lie low because of ill health, said that life without rumours would be boring.
He refused to explain his absence. The Bishkek leader claimed Putin was fit - and in macho mode.
After studying images and video of the meeting body language expert Judi James, author of The You Code: What Your Habits Say About You, told MailOnline that the poor-health rumours might be true after all.
"However the president explained that he knew the West could have intervened, and had been 'ready' to put his nuclear arsenal on alert, adding: 'I talked with colleagues and told them that Crimea is our historic territory. We were ready to do it.'"
His reappearance came after it was revealed that he was ready to place his nuclear attack forces on alert when he seized Crimea a year ago.
The Russian president's revelation was aired in a pre-recorded TV interview broadcast at the end of last week.
In the documentary – titled Crimea: Way Back Home – he said the area was Russia's 'historic territory', even though under international law it remains Ukrainian.
Putin went on to say: 'Russian people live there, they are in danger and we cannot leave them.'
However the president explained that he knew the West could have intervened, and had been 'ready' to put his nuclear arsenal on alert, adding: 'I talked with colleagues and told them that Crimea is our historic territory. We were ready to do it.'
The Kremlin has since claimed it has the right to station nuclear weapons on the Crimean peninsula.
Putin's absence occurred amid rumours of illness, a coup, or his Olympic gymnast 'lover' Alina Kabayeva giving birth to a child in Switzerland.