Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin.Photo: SPUTNIK/AFP/Getty
The reason, according toReuters? Macron didn’t want Russia having access to his DNA via the nose swab.
A sourcetold the BBCsomething similar: that the test “required a health protocol that was unacceptable and did not fit with the French leader’s schedule.”
A spokesperson for the French government did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment and would not discuss the DNA story with other outlets — saying it “did not merit launching into particular fantasies.”
The spokesperson added: “The president has of course always done what he has to do when he travels. The question is just based on the test conditions.”
Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “yes, indeed,” when asked whether Macron had declined a test ahead of the meeting with Putin.
The failure to take the test, Peskov said, meant that the men needed to sit 20 feet away to protect Putin’s health,CNN reported.
The eyes of the world have been on Russia in recent weeks, as officials have warned that Putin could launch an invasion of Ukraine at any moment, amid mounting tensions over Russian interests in the country and NATO’s sphere of influence in Europe.
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Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced thedeployment of 3,000 U.S. troopsto Eastern Europe. Thousands more were previously told to be on heightened alert.
In a recent interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt, President Joe Biden called on all American citizens in Ukraine toleave the country immediately, due to the threats of possible Russian military action.
President Putin has said he is open to ongoing talks to seek another resolution.
Biden said he would not send troops to rescue Americans there was an invasion.
“It’s not like we’re dealing with a terrorist organization. We’re dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It’s a very different situation, and things could go crazy quickly,” he said.
source: people.com
