Vladimir Putin stood a considerable distance from more than 20 new foreign ambassadors to Russia in scenes reminiscent of the coronavirus pandemic, apparently blaming “sanitary reasons”.

At a ceremony in the Kremlin, the Russian president accepted the credentials of the ambassadors, who included Britain’s latest envoy to Russia, Nigel Casey.

Mr Putin gave a speech in which he said he hoped relations between London and Moscow would improve.

“Let us hope that the situation will change for the better in the interests of our two countries and peoples,” he said.

Pictures showed the ambassadors listening from the other side of the room to the lectern the Russian leader stood behind.

According to news reports, Mr Putin told the envoys: “Unfortunately, for sanitary reasons, we cannot talk more, socialise.

“I hope that better times will come, not only in politics but also in healthcare, and we will be able to do so.”

Mr Casey reportedly told the Kremlin “ending the human suffering” caused by Mr Putin in Ukraine was Britain’s priority.

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Speaking in Russian, he said: “Maintaining relations with the Russian government and the Russian people remains important to the UK, perhaps today more important than ever.

“Decisions taken by Russia matter not only for the UK, but the whole world.

“Few of the issues, currently facing us, are more important than ending the human suffering caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

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The distance between the Russian leader and the ambassadors was reminiscent of the distance between Mr Putin and Emmanuel Macron when the French president travelled to Moscow in February last year.

The two leaders sat at opposite ends of an exceptionally long table and Mr Macron reportedly refused a Russian request to undergo a COVID test in order to stop Moscow from obtaining his DNA.

Similarly, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also found himself sitting at the other end of the table after refusing to take a COVID test.

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