Disinformation. Macron in possession of drugs on the train to kyiv? We explain the (false) controversy.

It's a rumor that's been raging on social media since this weekend. Emmanuel Macron was allegedly caught in possession of drugs during his train journey to Ukraine , on the night of Friday to Saturday. Internet users are basing their claims on images broadcast by the media of the informal meeting between Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz , and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during this journey . Emmanuel Macron is then seen grabbing a handkerchief in front of him and hiding it behind his back.

But for those internet users who are sharing this video en masse, it would not be a handkerchief but a bag of cocaine. "A cocaine night out with friends? White bag placed next to Macron's glass, which the latter seems to discreetly remove? And a drug spoon (cocaine spoon), next to the glass of his accomplice on the right of the video, also discreetly removed?", the "Veritiste" account pretends to wonder in a post liked by 3,000 internet users.

" Macron, Starmer, and Merz filmed upon their return from Kyiv. A bag of white powder is placed on the table. Macron quickly pockets it. Merz hides the spoon. No explanation. Zelensky, a notorious cocaine addict, had just received them. The three leaders are completely crazy," reports another, while the video was taken before the leaders arrived in Kyiv.

All these users have in common that they are certified by X. They are also accounts accustomed to spreading fake news or anti-vaccination posts. Several also appear to be supporters of Donald Trump . Others clearly display their sympathy for Vladimir Putin 's Russia. ''Veritiste'' notably shared images of the Russian military parade on May 9 and posts claiming that the Ukrainian regime is "Nazi."

The account "Dr Qube," which also relayed the rumor of cocaine on the train, also took the opportunity to promote Vladimir Putin: "Strong image of the May 9 ceremony in Moscow: Xi Jinping and Putin, 7 hours together, acknowledging Trump's failure to divide Russia and China in exchange for concessions on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Macron plays hide-and-seek with his "handkerchief,"" it wrote. On the video screenshot posted by another Internet user, "Radio Roma," even clearly appears... a notification from the Russian embassy's WhatsApp channel.

As for what they claim, even Elon Musk 's artificial intelligence, Grok, denies it. "The video claiming that Macron, Starmer, and Merz were involved in a cocaine scandal during their trip to Kyiv is not real. Fact-checking shows that the alleged cocaine was a tissue and the "spoon" was a stirrer (sic). These claims, spread by conspiracy accounts, are false information," Grok wrote, when challenged by an internet user.

Given the scale of the controversy, the Élysée Palace also issued a statement on the subject. "When European unity becomes embarrassing, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like a drug. This fake news is spread by France's enemies, both abroad and within the country. We must remain vigilant against any manipulation," wrote X, the official presidential account.

Looking closely at the images taken by media outlets such as Agence France Presse and the Associated Press that day, we can see that it was indeed a handkerchief in front of Emmanuel Macron. The President of the Republic seemed to want to remove it, albeit clumsily, at the moment when the photo of the three leaders was taken. As for the supposed spoon or "straw" that Friedrich Merz was allegedly hiding, it was indeed a stirrer.