Remember those images from earlier in the week that showed Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin sitting at opposite ends of an absolutely enormous table? Well, there’s an interesting explanation. According to Reuters news agency, the French president refused to take a Russian COVID test when he arrived in Russia in case Kremlin spies got hold of his DNA. Without the COVID test results, Russian officials made Macron stay far away from their president, hence the need for what appeared to be the longest table in Moscow. A source with knowledge of Macron’s health protocols told the site about the refused test, commenting: “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.” The source said Macron took a French PCR test before he left his homeland, then his own doctor gave him a French antigen test after he arrived in Russia. Putin has reportedly gone to extreme lengths to avoid being infected with the virus.
