Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer were at the centre of fake internet accusations that they were ‘taking cocaine on a train journey to Ukraine.’
Unhinged conspiracy theorists quickly claimed a video showed the French leader hiding ‘a bag of cocaine’ as he sat next to the PM and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The trio visited President Zelensky in Kiev to demand Russia agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire by today.
As the leaders were about to depart from Poland to Ukraine,they sat inside the carriage for a photo op.
The trio were about to take a train to Ukraine when the photo op unfolded (Picture: STEFAN ROUSSEAU/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The pro-Russian keyboard warriors wasted no time stirring wild claims they were all on a wild jolly instead.
They even pointed to a video showing Merz with a straw or ‘stirrer’.
The French government slapped down this ‘disinformation’ late last night,revealing what the ‘cocaine’ really was….. a tissue.
Posting on X,the platform where bloggers had been making the false statements about Macron,the French president’s official account,the Élysée Palace,confirmed what had really happened.
They posted a picture of the tissue close up,explaining it was ‘for blowing your nose.’
The post wasted no time pinning the blame for the allegations on ‘France’s enemies’.
The Élysée Palace added: ‘When European unity becomes inconvenient,disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs.
‘This fake news is being spread by France’s enemies,both abroad and at home. We must remain vigilant against manipulation.’
When European unity becomes inconvenient,disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs.This fake news is being spread by France’s enemies,both abroad and at home. We must remain vigilant against manipulation. pic.twitter.com/xyXhGm9Dsr
— Élysée (@Elysee) May 11,2025
Instead,they posted a picture of Macron,Starmer and Merz shaking hands inside the train carriage,stating: ‘This is European Unity’.
Far-right propagandists were behind the string of fake posts about the trio’s trip to Ukraine,including Trump supporter Dinesh D’Souza.
It comes as Russia initially tried to undermine efforts by the European leaders to secure a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Macron,Starmer and Merz met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to pile pressure of Russia over its war in Ukraine.
They threatened to ratchet up pressure on Putin if he did not agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire by today.
In response,the Russian leader’s right hand man Dmitry Medvedev told them to ‘shove these peace plans’.
The four European leaders in Kyiv joined Zelensky to demand a ceasefire (Picture: via REUTERS)
But in the early hours of Sunday morning,however,Putin announced his desire to restart peace talks,adding: ‘We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine.’
While Zelensky welcomed Vladimir Putin’s offer to restart direct peace talks in Istanbul next week,he insisted that Putin accept an unconditional ceasefire starting tomorrow before the planned talks in Turkey on Thursday.
United News - unews.co.za