A collection of photos dating back to at least February 22 reflects the lengths Putin is going to in order to maintain social distancing.
http://www.yahoo.com/news/photos-putin-keeps-his-distance-during-meetings-194633383.html
Obviously, he isn't worried about covid. He is worried about any contact with security or military staff who might be plotting to give him a taste of the medicine he has been prescribing to his enemies for decades. Polonium... Nerve agents...
He has much to feed his paranoia. When you have ordered the killings of others with bizarre chemical agents but didn't do the killing yourself, you realize you have a major problem. Someone that isn't you has that expertise and can use it against you.
Everybody's gotta serve somebody, even tyrannical despots. Putin serves a cadre of corrupt oligarchs and military types willing to look away as he loots the country as long as they get a share and that share remains worth something or reamains convertible. After seeing the international banking community restrict access to settlement systems and seeing their ruble denominated assets reduced to rubble, there are a lot of people not too happy with Vlad.
It's lonely at the top. And dangerous.
| 