No ‘sanitary’ concerns here! Putin warmly shakes officials’ hands as he arrives in UAE after bizarrely refusing to step within 70ft of British ambassador at Kremlin event for ‘health reasons’
Vladimir Putin flew to the Middle East today to greet UAE officials after bizarrely rejecting several top diplomats from Europe yesterday, including the British ambassador to Russia.
The despot said he could not greet Nigel Casey, Britain's top representative in Russia, and other top foreign diplomats in Moscow when he formally accepted their credentials upon arrival in Russia because he had COVID, choosing to keep a distance of at least 22 meter while he gave a speech on Tuesday.
Despite his concerns about “sanitary” issues, he flew to the UAE for a rare visit with a full agenda outside the former Soviet Union.
Putin told the envoys yesterday, including the new ambassadors of Germany and Australia: 'Unfortunately, for sanitary reasons we can no longer talk, socialize.
But just a day later he arrived in the United Arab Emirates, where huge sums of Russian money have been deposited since the start of the war.
Vladimir Putin (pictured) was seen today flying to the UAE for a rare visit with a full schedule outside the former Soviet Union
He gave a speech to several top diplomats in the Kremlin, but refused to be near them and did not associate with them.
But that same day, Putin was seen in close contact with several people at a Russian school
He was seen with schoolchildren telling them a bizarre story about his mother Maria
Today, Putin was seen shaking hands with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, upon arrival at Abu Dhabi airport.
Putin will also arrive in Saudi Arabia later today, where he will reportedly meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time since October 2019.
Both countries have said they do not recognize the arrest warrant for child abduction during the invasion of Ukraine issued by the International Criminal Court.
He is believed to be meeting with oil states to discuss the OPEC group of leading oil producers, as well as the war between Israel and Hamas and its invasion of Ukraine.
Before leaving, Putin was also seen getting close to dozens of people, including children, during a trip to a school in Pyatigorsk in the Vologda region.
During his trip, he told how his mother Maria had ordered him to the corner of their cramped Soviet apartment at the age of three or four because he was naughty.
Putin will also arrive in Saudi Arabia later today, where he will reportedly meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time since October 2019.
Putin was seen near dozens of people, including children, during a trip to a school in Pyatigorsk in the Vologda region
He had the diplomats line up 70 feet away from him and then refused to interact with them
During his journey, he revealed how his mother Maria had ordered him to the corner of their cramped Soviet flat at the age of three or four because he was naughty.
Diplomats from all over the world were in the Kremlin yesterday to greet the despot
Many have accused Putin of using body doubles so that his enemies never know where he really is at any time
Strangely enough, he called it his “best childhood memory.”
The dictator said: 'It's quite personal, I'll just tell you the beginning of the story.
'My mother put me in a corner, I don't even remember why, and she walked around for a while and glared at me.
“She asked, 'Are you going to ask for forgiveness or not?'
“I'll tell you one-on-one how this story ended. I'm just leaving out a few parts.
“Anyway, it ended with her kissing me and pulling me out of that corner, and that was the end of the story.
“But the way she did it, that's a separate conversation.”
At the same event he signed a book – with a signature similar, but not identical, to his previous extensive signatures.
This comes amid a wave of rumors that a doppelgänger – or double – of Putin is often used when the Russian president needs to meet people up close.
Putin was seen meeting with his Minister of Education, Sergei Kravtsov, who proposed expanding the propaganda to kindergartens.
The patriotic movement Eaglets of Russia – which already has 2.5 million primary school-age children – should play a role in kindergartens, he said.
“We propose to scale up this project to preschool age,” Kravtsov said.
'Experts, methodologists and scientists say…Eaglets should be implemented in kindergartens.'
Putin told him: “Of course you are right: education begins not only in kindergarten, but of course even earlier, probably at the birth of a child.”
During another session, Putin met with Stavropol Governor Vladimir Vladimirov.
MailOnline has contacted the British Foreign Office for comment.