The French presidency has dismissed as 'fake news' a viral conspiracy theory falsely claiming that President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders were seen taking drugs on a train.
The Elysée Palace has hit back against "fake news" spread by "France's enemies" after social media accounts belonging to far-right figures and Russian officials falsely claimed that European leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron, were seen taking drugs on a train.
The baseless accusation made waves on X, originally stirred up by US radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, before being picked up by Russian officials such as foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
The alleged incident involved genuine footage showing Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz having a meeting in a train compartment on their way to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.
As Merz and Starmer entered the compartment, Macron was seen moving a white tissue from the table.
Social media accounts then claimed, without a shred of evidence, that the white object contained cocaine.
France blames bed bug panic on Russian 'disinformation'
"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation can be so desperate as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," declared the Elysée on Monday in a statement on its own X account.
"This fake news is being peddled by France's adversaries, both foreign and domestic. We must stay alert against such manipulation," the statement added.
To further counter the claims, the Elysée posted a photo zooming in on the white object, with the caption: "This is a tissue for blowing your nose."
Accompanying a photo of the three leaders, it added: "This is European unity for peace".
French cyber experts reveal vast network of Russian disinformation sites
'Blatant hoaxes'
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot didn't hold back, accusing Russia of being "desperate" to disrupt peace efforts in Ukraine. "You’re resorting to blatant hoaxes now. This is not just irresponsible – it’s downright pathetic," he posted on X.
Barrot pointed out that the disinformation had been shared by both Zakharova and Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Russian official involved in talks with the United States regarding Ukraine.
Contrary to the misleading posts, the footage was taken on the leaders’ way to Kyiv, not after their talks with Zelensky. Zelensky himself has been the target of repeated, unfounded drug-use allegations by Russian officials and state media.
The social media posts also referenced a spoon on the table that Merz picked up, suggesting it was part of the supposed drug use.
However, photos taken by AFP and other media organisations have shown that the white object was nothing more than a crumpled tissue.
Russia steps up disinformation campaigns against French elections, Paris Olympics
Disinformation
Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation accused Russia of attempting to discredit peace initiatives championed by European leaders, aimed at ending the ongoing three-year conflict triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
"This sorry episode really highlights the state of Russian diplomacy today – more about spreading disinformation than anything else," the Centre commented.
France, alongside its European allies, has long criticised Russia for wielding disinformation as a weapon to sway public opinion in Europe and undermine support for Ukraine.
France’s online security agency, Viginum, reported on Wednesday that it had monitored nearly 80 disinformation campaigns driven by Russian operators from August 2023 to early March 2025, predominantly targeting Ukraine and its allies, including France.
