Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talks with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron this week was held with social distancing after the French leader declined to take a Russian coronavirus test, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
He confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron had declined the test and said Russia had no problem with this, but it meant that a 6-metre distance from Russian President Vladimir Putin was required in order to protect the Kremlin leader's health.
"There is no politics in this, it does not interfere with negotiations in any way," Peskov said.
On February 7, the visiting French head of state was kept at a distance from the Russian leader during lengthy talks on the Ukraine crisis in Moscow.
They were photographed at opposite ends of a table so long that it provoked satirical comment on social media and speculation, including by diplomats, that Putin might be using it to send a message.
