MOSCOW, April 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin misses direct communication with people amid the restrictions over the coronavirus, but the schedule of his work has become much more intense these days, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" on Rossiya-1 TV channel.
"I believe that he is missing this. For him, communication with people is an absolute priority in his work. He gets understanding of the reality from there," Peskov said.
However, Peskov stressed that the lack of direct communication did not affect the intensity of Putin’s schedule, which "is much more intense than usually."
Peskov also noted that the Kremlin had seen criticism over the president’s visit to the Kommunarka hospital for coronavirus patients, where the head doctor was later diagnosed with the disease. "Putin always believes it is necessary to make sure from the inside out that the system is working during the crisis and is operating in a right way during an emergency situation," he said.
"This is neither a reckless nor a risky step, this is that the leader needs to see with his own eyes what is really going on. Even a detailed report cannot describe the picture and give the feeling of support to those people who are facing a challenging situation now," Peskov said, noting that during each trip the president "takes all precaution measures."
The Kremlin spokesman recalled the situation in the United Kingdom, where Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had to lead government instead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had contracted the coronavirus.
"Putin will never let this happen. <...> He is fulfilling the role of the head of state, but this is always measured, well-thought and with precaution measures. But he never refuses to personally see what is happening. He was also guided by this in Kommunarka.".