Putin sticks to protocol during Chinese leader’s visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin stuck to protocol and did not meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the airport when he arrived in Moscow (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/AP)

President Vladimir Putin was not waiting at the end of the red carpet to greet Chinese leader Xi Jinping when he arrived in Russia for a high-profile visit on Monday, but it was not a snub.

Russia’s standard protocol for visiting dignitaries calls for them to be welcomed at the airport by a lower-ranking Cabinet official.