Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, indicated that there will be no Christmas or New Year greetings extended to leaders in countries considered unfriendly. This stance was reported by RIA News.
Peskov clarified that greetings will not come from unfriendly nations, but will come from those viewed as friends. The spokesperson described a shifted approach, emphasizing friendly outreach rather than an adversarial exchange.
The list of countries labeled unfriendly includes the United States, Canada, the majority of European Union member states, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, South Korea, Japan, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, and several others.
At the close of the previous year, Putin himself did not extend New Year wishes to presidents of unfriendly nations. Peskov later explained that the Kremlin had limited contact with those countries due to ongoing hostile actions, which influenced the decision.
Earlier, Peskov had addressed questions about why Putin would not congratulate U.S. President Joe Biden on the New Year. According to the Kremlin representative, the levels of hostility between Russia and the United States had progressed to a point where a festive greeting did not seem appropriate.
There were moments when Putin made light remarks about the so-called top leadership of Russia, adding a note of sarcasm to discussions surrounding diplomatic etiquette.