Wafric News – May 12, 2025

Paris, France – The French government has strongly denounced a viral fake news campaign accusing President Emmanuel Macron of concealing a bag of cocaine during a diplomatic trip with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German opposition leader Friedrich Merz. The accusation, spread by pro-Russian social media accounts, has been dismissed as "absurd disinformation" aimed at undermining European unity.

The three leaders were en route from Poland to Ukraine on Friday aboard a diplomatic train to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky. The visit was part of a coordinated push for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and an effort to pressurize Moscow into halting its ongoing invasion.

Shortly after their meeting, a video clip surfaced online showing President Macron reaching across a table and picking up a white object. Pro-Russian commentators quickly spun the footage into a conspiracy theory, falsely claiming the French leader was hiding drugs—specifically, cocaine.

“Macron, Starmer and Merz caught on video on their return from Kyiv. A bag of white powder on the table. Macron quickly pockets it, Merz hides the spoon. No explanation given,” one viral post on X (formerly Twitter) claimed.

The French presidency promptly responded to the rumors, stating the object was nothing more than a tissue. “When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs,” read a post from the official Élysée Palace account.

In a symbolic gesture, the French government also posted a photo of the three leaders shaking hands aboard the train, with the caption: “This is European Unity.”

Security analysts and digital media experts have linked the disinformation campaign to far-right circles and pro-Kremlin propagandists, warning that such tactics are part of a broader effort to fracture Western consensus on Ukraine.

The controversy unfolded just days after France, the UK, Germany, and Poland joined Ukraine in calling for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. In a joint announcement, the bloc warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of impending “massive new sanctions” should Moscow refuse the deal.

The leaders held a call with former U.S. President Donald Trump during their meeting in Kyiv, aligning their positions on the ceasefire. “If Putin is serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it,” said Starmer. “No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays.”

The Kremlin, however, remained dismissive. “We hear many contradictory statements from Europe. They are generally confrontational rather than constructive,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax. He later added via state outlet TASS that Moscow would consider the proposal, though Russia maintains its own position.

As the propaganda war continues to unfold online, analysts warn that the targeting of European leaders with baseless claims is a growing sign of information warfare becoming central to geopolitical conflict.


By WafricNews Desk.