Vladimir Putin's obsession with long tables and distancing may have a deeper meaning

Russian President Vladimir Putinseems to be obsessed with big tables as in numerous formal meetings he has been spotted sitting meters apart from the others attending.

Health paranoia

Many analysts believe that Vladimir Putin sits far away from others due to being paranoid about his health.

A habit he has allegedly created during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many reports claimed that Vladimir Putinhad grown paranoid about avoiding the coronavirus, The Guardian reports.

Rumors have it that during this period Putin allegedly isolated himself and met rarely with others except for a select few from his inner circle who had to undergo rigorous testing before meeting with the President.

In 2022, Vladimir Putin hosted, at the Kremlin, Hungarian President Viktor Orban at the same time which according to The Guardian was used during pre-Covid-19 times to welcome many people at the same time.

Reportedly, Viktor Orban did not quarantine before the meeting with Putin and this is why there was no close-up between the two allies.

Powerplay

The same table used to meet with his Hungarian ally, Viktor Orban, was also used to meet with
the French President Emanuel Macron, and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

During these meetings, Putin was sitting five meters apart from his counterparts which leads to the theory of power play that experts use to explain the choice of big tables.

According to Forbes, Putin decidedly chooses who to distance from himself for political reasons and to send a certain kind of message.

Nevertheless, people on the web certainly have had their own interpretation of Vladimir Putin’s obsession with big tables as is seen on many Twitter posts.

Sources used:

-TheGuardian: ‘Putin’s massive table: powerplay or paranoia?’

-Newsweek: ‘Putin's Meeting Is Sign He's Not on 'Suicidal Mission': Former Ambassador’

-Forbes: ‘Putin's Long Tables Explained: Why He Puts Some Leaders, Including Germany’s Scholz, At An Extreme Distance’