• Source:JND
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A viral video has stirred up a social media storm, showing French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German opposition leader Friedrich Merz on a train to Kyiv. The footage, widely circulated online, sparked conspiracy theories suggesting the leaders were concealing illegal drugs, specifically cocaine, while en route to Ukraine. But what's the truth behind the clip?

The clip, shot on a train entering Ukraine from Poland, shows the three European leaders in conversation. At one point, Macron appears to discreetly pick up a small white item from the table and place it into his pocket. Nearby, a white object, labelled by some as a “cocaine spoon”, is seen next to Merz.

The cocaine rumour gained traction after Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the viral video, calling the three leaders, Macron, Starmer, and Merz, “a Frenchman, an Englishman, and a German” and accusing them of using cocaine but forgetting to hide the evidence before journalists arrived. 

Conspiracy theorist and conservative radio host Alex Jones also added fuel to the fire, posting the video on X, alleging that the leaders had been caught trying to hide drugs. “A bag of white powder on the table. Macron quickly pockets it, Merz hides the spoon,” he wrote, calling the trio “cracked out” after visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he accused of being a "known cocaine enthusiast."

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Official Clarifications

The French government issued a statement through the presidential office (Elysee Palace), categorically denying any wrongdoing. According to their clarification, President Macron had simply picked up a used tissue, and not a suspicious pouch. Friedrich Merz was said to have moved a drink stirrer, not a cocaine spoon.

“When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs,” the statement said, accusing hostile actors of deliberately spreading falsehoods to undermine European solidarity with Ukraine.

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