THIS is the bizarre moment Vladimir Putin spoke to ambassadors from 60 feet away.
It comes amid claims the paranoid tyrant, 70, is battling cancer and Parkinson's disease.
Footage shows Putin snubbing the new Moscow ambassadors of the US and EU as he refused to meet each of them to accept their credentials.
He instead spoke from the other side of the gilded Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in the capital some 60 feet away.
Putin's distance demand is reminiscent of his use of absurdly long tables for meetings.
Lynne Tracy, from the US, and Roland Galharague, representing the EU, were among 17 new envoys at the ceremony, as were the new ambassadors of NATO states Norway and Denmark.
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Putin said he could not meet them in person due to “sanitary restrictions”.
But during a visit to Mariupol last month the Russian president was pictured standing close to the people he met with.
Speaking from a huge distance, Putin today told the new ambassadors: “We won’t be able to talk in person, but in the course of your work, I’m sure this opportunity will come up again and again.”
Dmitry Peskov, his spokesman, made clear Putin did not intend a hold separate ceremony with America’s first ever woman ambassador to Moscow.
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At the end of the ceremony, Putin said: “Sadly our ceremony is coming to an end because sanitary restrictions are still in force…
“We will not manage to speak face to face .
“But I am sure we’ll have this chance multiple times during your work here.
“I am wishing you all the best.”
Putin is rumoured to be battling several health issues - with speculation fuelled by his often bloated look and twitching feet.
Bombshell spy documents leaked to The Sun meanwhile previously appeared to confirm the dictator has pancreatic cancer and early-stage Parkinson's disease.
And his ex-bodyguard Gleb Karakulov this week claimed Putin hides in bunkers to dodge assassination attempts.
Karakulov, 35, also claimed the despot is "morally afraid" of dying of Covid.
He said Putin turned into a recluse after becoming obsessed with securing his safety - and being rattled by fears the West are bugging his calls.
The captain in the Federal Guard Service, known as the FGS or FSO, has fled Russia to safety after dishing the dirt on Putin's regime.
He branded the Russian President a "war criminal" and claimed he has brainwashed his minions to "worship him in every way".
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But as Putin tries to keep a grip on his power, Karakulov claims he is also battling his own inner demons in complete isolation.
He alleged that the warlord now opts to stay "in his bunker" rather than make trips like he used to - fuelling rumours that he send body doubles in his place.