Emmanuel Macron ‘Cocaine’ Claims Erupt After Kyiv Meeting

The French presidency has responded to viral images pushing what has been described a conspiracy theory that Emmanuel Macron was seen with cocaine.

Macron went to Kyiv by train with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky about support for Kyiv against Russian aggression.

Social media users claimed images showed proof of shared cocaine use, a claim amplified by Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

There is no evidence for the claims, which were debunked by the French newspaper Libération. The Élysée Palace said on Monday that “fake news” and “disinformation” were being spread by France’s enemies.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.K. Foreign Office and German foreign ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

Without offering evidence, Russian propagandists have often accused Zelensky of using cocaine or taking other drugs in what is seen as an effort by Moscow to discredit the Ukrainian president.

One video shared in 2022 by pro-Russian groups on Telegram soon after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion was debunked by investigative outlet Bellingcat as being digitally manipulated.

Russia’s reaction to the footage suggests it wants to portray the leaders as dissolute and incapable of deciding the future of the war.

What To Know

Macron traveled to Kyiv on Friday accompanied by Merz and Starmer for talks that concluded with European leaders proposing a 30-day ceasefire.

Images from the night train that took them to Ukraine shows them laughing and dressed casually. Social media users made accusations about the trio, including that Macron had discreetly hidden a bag of white powder and Merz had a straw.

But the French newspaper Libération said “this is obviously not the case” and reported how images from agencies like the Associated Press and AFP showed the mysterious bag of white powder was simply a handkerchief rolled into a ball.

It had been placed on the table before Starmer and cameras had arrived in the cabin, where Macron and Merz were seated the paper said, while the straw “looked more like a stirrer or a toothpick, which the German chancellor would have crushed.”

The paper’s article was headlined “No, Emmanuel Macron did not hide cocaine taken with Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer in the train to Kyiv.”

On Monday, the Élysée Palace dismissed the story, saying that when “European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs.”

But some social media users begged to differ, such as the X channel Véritiste X which said: “A cocaine-fueled evening between friends?” next to two clips of the leaders, one in real time, the other slowed down.

Tesla owner Elon Musk reposted a message by X account Concerned Citizen next to a video of Adolf Hitler looking agitated which said “what do Adolf Hitler, Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer & Friedrich Merz all have in common?”

Meanwhile, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted on Telegram how she had asked a Western ambassador in 2022 how they could supply weapons “to the unbalanced drug addict Zelensky.”

“I received the answer: ‘for the EU, this is normal—many heads of Western states use it,'” added the post.

What They Are Saying

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram: “The fate of Europe is being decided by temporary workers who are dependent in every sense.”

French Presidential Office said in a statement: “This fake news is being spread by France’s enemies, both abroad and at home. We must remain vigilant against manipulation.”

Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, said on X: “French media is shutting down social media rumors that French President Emmanuel Macron was caught with a bag of cocaine during a trip to Ukraine.”

What Happens Next

Russian outlets are likely to capitalize on the viral video, despite it having been dismissed as disinformation by Paris.

There will be anticipation over the next move following Zelensky and his European partners endorsing an unconditional ceasefire with Russia starting Monday, which Moscow has ignored.