PARIS (REUTERS) - French President Emmanuel Macron refused a Kremlin request that he take a Russian Covid-19 test when he arrived to see President Vladimir Putin this week, to prevent Russia getting hold of Macron's DNA, two sources in Macron's entourage told Reuters.

As a result, the visiting French head of state was kept at a distance from the Russian leader during lengthy talks on the Ukraine crisis in Moscow.

Observers were struck by images of the two leaders sitting at opposite ends of a 4m-long table on Monday during their talks, with some diplomats and others suggesting Mr Putin might be wanting to send a diplomatic message.

But two sources, who have knowledge of the Mr Macron's health protocol, told Reuters that he had been given a choice: either accept a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test done by the Russian authorities and be allowed to get close to Mr Putin, or refuse and have to abide by more stringent social distancing.

"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," one of the sources told Reuters, referring to security concerns if the French leader was tested by Russian doctors.

The Kremlin confirmed on Friday (Feb 11) that Mr Macron was kept at a distance from Mr Putin.

The Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was understanding of the French position and had been guided by the need to protect Mr Putin at the meeting, where the leaders sat at opposite ends of the table.

He said this was not about politics and had not affected the talks.

The second source in Mr Macron's entourage confirmed Mr Macron declined to take a Russian PCR test.

The source said Mr Macron instead took a French PCR test before departure and an antigen test done by his own doctor once in Russia.

"The Russians told us Putin needed to be kept in a strict health bubble," the second source said.

Mr Macron’s office said the Russian health protocol "did not seem to us to be either acceptable or compatible with our diary constraints", referring to the length of time that would have been required to wait for the results.

When asked specifically about DNA theft, Mr Macron's office said: "The president has doctors who define with him the rules that are acceptable or not in terms of his own health protocol."

On Thursday, three days after Mr Macron and Mr Putin had their socially distanced meeting, the Russian leader received Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The two men shook hands and sat close to each other, divided only by a small coffee table.