President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is self-isolating because of coronavirus cases in his inner circle, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
Mr. Putin canceled a planned trip to Tajikistan this week for a summit with leaders from Central Asia and former Soviet countries, the Kremlin said, describing a phone call that Mr. Putin had with Emomali Rahmon, the Tajik president.
“Vladimir Putin said that in connection with identified cases of the coronavirus in his environment, he must observe self-isolation for a certain period of time,” the statement said.
Mr. Putin said earlier this year that he had been vaccinated with the two-dose regimen of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. But he has continued to be extraordinarily careful in his public appearances, often requiring people he meets to quarantine beforehand.
Mr. Putin signaled on Monday that he might have to self-isolate because of possible coronavirus exposure, although some Russian news outlets interpreted his comments as a joke.
“Even around me, there are problems with this Covid thing,” he said in an informal conversation with Paralympic athletes at an event at the Kremlin that was broadcast by state media. “I think I might have to quarantine soon, myself.”
