The talks between President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron took place at a four-meter table due to the latter's refusal to take a second PCR test for coronavirus in Russia. This is reported by Reuters, citing sources close to the President of France.
Photo: kremlin.ru
update
13:00 The press secretary of the Russian president confirmed that Macron refused to hand over test for coronavirus in Russia. “There is no politics in this, everyone treats this with complete understanding and this in no way interferes with the negotiations, which is the main thing,” he said.
According to the interlocutors of the agency, Macron was offered to take a PCR test in Russia: after that, it would be possible to reduce the distance and even shake hands with Putin.
However, the security service of the French president opposed. “We couldn’t accept the fact that Russia would get its hands on the president’s DNA,” they explained their decision.
At the same time, while still in Paris, Macron passed the test — right before the trip to Moscow.