In 2001, President Putin received Queen Beatrix in the Kremlin. The heads of state would enter the imposing reception hall from two sides and greet each other in the middle. After all, heads of state are equal in terms of protocol. But Putin had moved the meeting place so that he himself only had to walk a third of the way. I stood there and saw Putin approach slowly like a czar while Beatrix had to rush through to arrive immediately. A remarkable display of power.
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A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of October 15, 2022
