Why French President Macron Was Kept At A Distance From Putin During Their Meeting

Putin-Macron Meeting: A six meter table was kept between Macron and Vladimir Putin when two leaders were discussing Ukraine crisis in Moscow.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Twitter: @KremlinRussia_E)

New Delhi: A picture of a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is making rounds on the internet. 

The picture shows Macron and Putin sitting at opposite ends of an unusually long table in the Kremlin on Monday. Macron visited Moscow to defuse fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, AFP reported.

The Kremlin on Friday said Macron refused a Russian Covid test ahead of his meeting with Putin due to which the French President was kept at a distance from the Russian leader during talks on the Ukraine crisis.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peksov said the decision to put a long table during talks with Macron was taken after the French leader refused to take a Covid test performed by the Kremlin's medics.

"Talks with some are being held at a long table, the distance (across the table) is about six meters," Peskov said as quoted by AFP.

"It is linked to the fact that some follow their own rules, they don't cooperate with the host side," he said.

In such cases, he said, the Kremlin needs to take "additional sanitary protocol on protecting the health of our president and his guests".

He said the decision on who is subjected to the long table is not political. "There is no politics here and this in no way interferes with negotiations," Peskov said.

He said that if medics from both sides of diplomatic meetings cooperate, then "Putin communicates with his guests directly, sitting very close and shaking hands".

According to sources close to the French President's entourage, Macron was given an option before the meeting to get a PCR test done by Russian officials or abide by more stringent social distancing. 

"We knew very well that meant no handshake and that long table. But, we could not accept that they get their hands on the president's DNA," one of the sources told Reuters, referring to security concerns if the French leader was tested by Russian doctors.

Under Russia's current Covid rules, foreigners travelling to Russia are required to take a PCR test before a flight to the country but do not have to take one on arrival.