France has blasted “fake news” claims that Emmanuel Macron was concealing drugs during a high-profile meeting with Sir Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz.
Bizarre rumours have swirled online about the French president after he was pictured with the Prime Minister and German Chancellor on a train together for last week’s trip to Ukraine.
Conspiracy theorists made the completely unsubstantiated claim that Mr Macron had hid a bag of white powder and that Mr Merz used a straw for snorting.
However, the French government has moved quickly to blast the false claim, pointing out that the item on the table was a tissue.
They posted a close-up of the tissue, confirming it was “for blowing your nose”.
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Meanwhile, the footage showed Mr Merz had picked up a cocktail stick typically used for buffet sandwiches and garnishes in drinks.
The Élysée Palace posted on X: “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.”
Among the propagandists who spread false information included Donald Trump supporter Dinesh D’Souza, Infowars founder Alex Jones and the official account for Tommy Robinson.
It has also been pushed by the Kremlin. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted on Telegram that “a Frenchman, an Englishman and a German” had been spotted with cocaine paraphernalia on a train.
“The fate of Europe is being decided by utterly (drug) dependent individuals,” she wrote. “It’s as if the Almighty Himself is lifting the veil on this putrid spectacle.”
In April, France warned Russia was waging a silent war against the country and denounced cyberattacks coming from the Kremlin.
Shooting down the latest “fake news”, the French presidency's official account added an image of Mr Macron, Sir Keir and Mr Merz shaking hands inside the carriage, captioning the image: “This is European Unity.”
When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs.
— Élysée (@Elysee) May 11, 2025
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
On Saturday, Britain and European Union allies demanded Russia accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday.
Sir Keir said: "If he (Putin) is serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it. If Putin turns his back on peace, we will respond.”
However, Vladimir Putin rejected the “ultimatums” and called for direct negotiations with Ukraine in Turkey, an initiative embraced by the United States.
Ukraine’s premier Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to meet Vladimir Putin “personally” in Istanbul on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary David Lammy is set to host EU peers on Monday to discuss support for Ukraine and greater regional defence cooperation in the run-up to a summit hosted by the PM next week.
"We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent," Mr Lammy said. “The challenge we face today is not only about the future of Ukraine – it is existential for Europe as a whole."
