French officials have rejected as unfounded and misleading a viral clip that has launched a tide of conspiracy theories and speculation against French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German opposition leader Friedrich Merz. The video, posted widely on social media, shows the three leaders sitting around a table after their visit to Kyiv with a tiny white object referred to by some as a bag of cocaine, momentarily visible on the camera. Macron has been spotted quickly removing the object from the camera shot, while Merz has been seen dealing with a spoon. This has sparked unfounded claims that the leaders were under the influence of drugs when making a strategic meeting, as online comments assume they were "plotting strategy while doing cocaine together." The French government has reacted firmly, describing the viral allegations as "pure disinformation" and a targeted smear campaign. "This is a conscious effort to erode European unity and trust in leadership," a French official said, appealing to the public to remain on guard against manipulated content. Digital sleuths and fact-checkers have examined the video and determined that the item in question is probably a tissue or napkin, not a controlled substance. The timing of the clip's release, after leaders universally stood in support of Ukraine, raised suspicion that foreign or extremist sources were likely responsible for the dissemination of the hoax.Pahalgam Terror Attack: Emmanuel Macron Dials PM Narendra Modi, Says ‘France Stands Firmly With India’.

France Fact-Checks Viral ‘Cocaine’ Claim Against French President

Video Alleges Leaders Were Using Drugs During Meeting

 

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