French President Emmanuel Macron refused to take a Russian COVID-19 check earlier than his assembly with Vladimir Putin, in keeping with the Kremlin.
Macron was separated from the Russian President by a protracted desk throughout prolonged discussions over the Ukraine disaster.
The weird picture of the 2 socially-distanced leaders on Monday has sparked a lot debate on-line.
Some had advised that it was a sign of Putin’s chilly perspective to his French counterpart, on condition that he was pictured seated nearer to different world leaders late within the week.
However Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov has said that Macron refused to bear a PCR check on his arrival in Russia.
“Some individuals observe their very own guidelines … However on this case, a well being protocol is utilized to guard the well being of our president and his host,” Peskov advised reporters on Friday.
“There aren’t any political issues on this topic,” Peskov added, stating that the bodily distance between Putin and Macron didn’t “intervene in any means with the negotiations”.
The Elysée Palace has said that the well being protocols imposed by Russia had been “neither acceptable nor suitable with the constraints of our agenda”.
“We selected the opposite choice proposed by the Russian protocol,” the French president’s workplace added.
Well being measures have been significantly tightened throughout the Kremlin for the reason that begin of the pandemic, with President Putin commonly sitting a number of metres away from visitors.
However simply three days after Macron and Putin’s socially-distanced assembly, the Russian chief was pictured shaking fingers with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and sitting at a a lot nearer desk.
Macron’s journey to Moscow on Monday aimed toward easing tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine.
Russia has massed greater than 100,000 troops alongside its Ukrainian border, prompting considerations that it’s getting ready to invade. Moscow has denied the allegations.
