US EditionFrench Presidency Denounces Viral 'Cocaine Video' as Disinformation
- In early May 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who traveled together by train for discussions.
- During the journey, social media circulated a video falsely claiming the leaders used cocaine, allegedly showing a white object and other items as drug paraphernalia, with Russia and far-right figures amplifying the story.
- The French presidency and media outlets rejected the accusations as false information, clarifying that the white item in question was simply a balled-up tissue, and described the allegations as a disgraceful example of propaganda.
- France's disinformation watchdog Viginum reported nearly 80 Russian-led influence campaigns since 2023, highlighting this case as part of Russia's ongoing effort to weaken European support for Ukraine.
- This event underscores the persistent use of disinformation by Russia and allies to discredit European leaders, emphasizing the need for vigilance against manipulation amid the three-year Ukraine conflict.
295 Articles
295 Articles
Tracking the disinfo on Macron’s ‘cocaine use’ in Ukraine
Unsubstantiated claims of supposed cocaine use by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on a train to Ukraine last weekend may have started from a French account. One post, by a French far-right activist, quickly spread across the internet after being picked up by US conspiracy theorists and making its way to
Daily Journal
Tracking the disinfo on Macron's 'cocaine use' in Ukraine
Unsubstantiated claims of supposed cocaine use by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on a train to Ukraine last weekend may have started from a French account.
Alex Jones' cocaine claim about European leaders falls apart under scrutiny
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones seized on a May 9 video of a train car meeting among three European leaders to claim they had used drugs and were trying to hide […] The post Alex Jones’ cocaine claim about European leaders falls apart under scrutiny appeared first on Poynter.
Fact-checking video of Macron: White object is not cocaine
Alex Jones said a video showed European leaders Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer “caught” with cocaine. A digital forensics expert and the official X account for the French presidency said the item was a tissue.
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