The French Presidential Office rejected Russian propaganda claims that European leaders were using cocaine during their recent train journey to Kyiv, presenting evidence that the alleged "bag of white powder" was simply a tissue.
"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," the Elysee Palace said on X, responding to allegations spread by Russian media sources.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova had claimed footage from the train carriage showing French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz revealed a "bag and spoon" for drugs.
To counter these claims, the French Presidential Office published two photos from the train. One showed the tissue in question with the caption: "This is a tissue. For blowing your nose." A second image displayed representatives of European leaders with the description: "This is European unity, to promote peace."
"This fake news is being spread by France's enemies, both abroad and at home. We must remain vigilant against manipulation," the Elysee Palace said.
The controversy began after video footage of the European leaders' journey to Kyiv was published. Russian propaganda outlets quickly circulated claims about an alleged "packet with white powder" visible on the table where Macron sat with Merz and Starmer.
Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan even claimed she could see not just a "packet" but also supposedly a "spoon for cocaine" on the table, according to screenshots from Russian state media.
In reality, the video shows the French president trying to tidy the table and simply putting a used, crumpled tissue into his pocket.
The European leaders, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, visited Kyiv on 10 May to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reaffirm their support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
During this visit, Zelenskyy and his European counterparts endorsed an unconditional ceasefire with Russia starting 12 May, a proposal that Moscow has ignored.
Earlier, Macron had shared behind-the-scenes footage of the joint visit to Kyiv, including a clip of him making an early morning phone call to Donald Trump. According to Politico sources, Macron called Trump despite the early hour in Washington to initiate a joint conversation.
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