Russian President Vladimir Putin explained the conflict in Ukraine during a visit to a training center of the Russian airline Aeroflot just outside Moscow. The images that were distributed are the target of ridicule on social media.
Putin said, among other things, that the “military operations” in Ukraine are proceeding successfully and according to plan. He also said the resulting Western sanctions “looked like a declaration of war”.
Footage from the meeting shows the president sitting at a table full of female Aeroflot employees. “Has he given up his social distancing of 20 meters,” someone asks merrily on Twitter, referring to past Putin meetings with the likes of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who had to sit at a very long white table to sit.
Both refused to have a Russian PCR test performed before the meeting. That situation was also the source of a lot of jokes and memes on social media.
“One of these statues is not like the other”, another laughs.
Others find the looks of the flight attendants at the table extremely telling. “He forgot about social distancing, but the faces of the flight attendants say they would have rather been further away.”
“I’d say they’re more skeptical,” someone cheers. To which someone else replies, “Judging by the look of sheer disgust on that woman’s face, I don’t think his plan is working.”
“The face you get when you realize the leader of your country is crazy,” laughs another.
Some suggest they may be able to show Putin what the exits are.
Others also find it strange that no one seems to drink the tea, to which someone suggests that it might contain polonium. That refers to the murdered Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian spy who was poisoned with this radioactive substance by the Russians in London in 2006.
Read all about the conflict in Ukraine in our file.
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