Media: quarantine before meetings with Putin was canceled

Vladimir Putin has stopped demanding that everyone who wants to meet him in person be sent to mandatory quarantine. This was reported to Faridaily by four anonymous sources familiar with Kremlin protocols.

It is noted that quarantine measures were introduced back in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Their compliance was controlled by the Federal Security Service (FSO). Faridaily writes that Putin was the only head of state who demanded strict quarantine for so long.

Because of this, ministers, heads of state-owned companies and billionaires had to spend time in isolation in order to be allowed to meet with Putin. Since 2020, the quarantine lasted two weeks. After the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine, it was reduced to one week, and then to several days.

According to Faridaily, everyone wishing to meet with Putin had to undergo quarantine in Kremlin sanatoriums or hotels under the supervision of the FSO. Some senior officials were later allowed to isolate at home, while others had to follow previous rules.

The publication notes that personal meetings with Putin are considered an “important commodity” and indicate his trust. However, quarantine measures made such meetings difficult. Faridaily's sources among the Russian elite also suggested that Putin's isolation during the pandemic may have had a negative impact on his psyche, which was likely an important factor in the decision to invade Ukraine.

Now, for a personal meeting with Putin, according to the publication’s interlocutors, a PCR test is sufficient. Quarantine rules began to be relaxed last fall, allowing Putin to hold more meetings. However, the reasons for such relaxations remain unclear.