Putin Stands Far from New Envoys, Citing COVID Concerns While Accepting Credentials
• Vladimir Putin stood far from new foreign ambassadors, citing "sanitary reasons" reminiscent of COVID precautions • Putin accepted credentials from over 20 new envoys, including Britain's Nigel Casey • Putin said he hopes relations between Russia and Britain improve • The distance was similar to when Emmanuel Macron visited in 2021, with a long table between them • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also sat far from Putin after refusing a COVID test