There's socially distanced, after which there's French President Emmanuel Macron sitting on the other finish of an infinite desk throughout talks together with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the Kremlin on Monday.
There may be now perception as to why: The French chief declined the Kremlin's request for a Russian COVID-19 check, the Elysee Palace mentioned Thursday.
On Friday, an Elysee spokesperson refused to touch upon media reviews that Macron didn't need Russian docs getting their palms on his DNA.
The 2 males spent greater than 5 hours sitting on the desk, estimated to be as much as six metres lengthy, for head-to-head talks on how you can diffuse a possible battle in Ukraine.
Macron was searching for to cease the huge Russian navy buildup of greater than 100,000 troopers from turning into warfare and to assuage Russia's safety grievances, which embody calls for that Ukraine and Georgia be blocked from ever turning into members of NATO and for the alliance to attract down troops in Jap Europe.
However the desk itself drew important consideration, with its size stunning many observers and triggering a wave of web memes.
On Friday, an Elysee spokesperson defined the French facet "judged that the situations that allowed for a shorter distance (between the presidents throughout their talks) weren't acceptable to us and we selected the opposite choice proposed by the Russian (COVID-19) protocol. That's all."
"The president has after all all the time performed what he has to do when he travels," the spokesperson mentioned.
"The query is simply based mostly on the check situations."
As to the Reuters report about Macron not wanting Russia to have entry to his DNA, the spokesperson mentioned it "didn't advantage launching into explicit fantasies."
Whereas refusing to supply particulars of the check situations, the spokesperson mentioned there have been considerations about who would do the check, how the exams could be taken and their timings.
"The president has docs who outline with him the foundations which can be acceptable or not by way of the well being protocols regarding him. Interval," the Elysee spokesperson added.
The situations that might have allowed a gathering with much less distance imposed a Russian well being protocol which "appeared neither acceptable nor suitable with our agenda constraints," the Elysee Palace mentioned on Thursday.
The Kremlin confirmed that the French facet was unwilling to adjust to the Kremlin COVID-19 testing protocol that might have led to a extra intimate setting.
Requested if Macron determined to not take a PCR check administered by Russian docs, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed reporters Friday: "Sure, certainly."
"In some conditions, Putin meets together with his friends sitting very shut by each other, they shake palms," he mentioned.
"With others, negotiations are held at a desk, at a distance of roughly six metres."
Peskov added: "This is because of the truth that some leaders comply with their very own guidelines and they don't work together with the host facet in sharing exams."
"We deal with this with understanding, this can be a regular international follow however, on this case, there's a protocol of extra measures to guard the well being of our president and our friends as properly."
"A bigger distance is utilized."
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The assembly ended with the Kremlin pouring chilly water on reviews that the 2 leaders had agreed to de-escalate the tense standoff on Ukraine's border, the place tens of hundreds of Russian forces have massed in latest months, drawing warnings from Western officers of an impending invasion.
As Putin exams the West's resolve, Macron has thrust himself to centre stage, taking former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's place as main mediator for Europe as he readies himself for a reelection bid at dwelling.
At the moment on the helm of the European Union's rotating presidency, Macron has spoken a number of instances per week with Putin, and positioned his third cellphone name in every week to US President Joe Biden on Sunday night.