Recording from the visit of French president Macron, German Chancellor Merz, British Prime Minister Stamer and Polish Prime Minister Tusk in Kiev was utilized by Moscow to discredit them. There was a false claim on social media that leaders were utilizing drugs.
The pretext to the charges became The video of May 9, erstwhile Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer traveled by train to Kiev. The video shows that Macron discreetly hides a handkerchief, which was utilized in conspiracy explanation suggesting that the leaders were utilizing drugs.
False communicative spreads Russian propaganda.
Most of the footage from this event, with the manipulated context, has low quality, making it easier to manipulate the recipient. In the video published in advanced resolution, among others by the Associated Press, it is clear that the alleged drug bag is actually Used disposable handkerchief.
Russian propaganda
On Sunday, Russian MFA spokeswoman Maria Zacharowa published an entry on her Telegram bearing photographs and footage of the journeys of European leaders. She said Their visit to Kiev "was intended to destruct the peace process" and accused politicians of taking drugs. In addition, she referred to a false communicative about The alleged problem of Volodymyr Zelenski with cocaine, spread by pro-Russian propaganda.
On the same day, the video was released on platform X by Alex Jones, an American tv presenter and founder of InfoWars, known for spreading conspiracy theories. Although Jones has never been proven to be connected to the Kremlin, both he and his service are intensively spreading Russian propaganda. His entry in respective hours gained almost 22 million views. Jones covered the video with an untrue comment: "Macron, Starmer and Merz caught on video after returning from Kiev. A bag of white powder on the table. Macro rapidly hides it in his pocket, Merz hides the spoon. No explanations were given. Zelenski, a well-known cocaine enthusiast, just hosted them. All 3 'leaders' look completely high."
Jones' entry was besides made available by Kirił Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RFPI) and close associate of Putin. In an English-language entry he asked rhetorically: "Is this material AI or real? If it is real – are we looking at sugar or something else? If it is something else, it explains many fresh ideas and proposals."
The alleged scandal is besides widely reported by Russian pro-government media. On the website Arguments and Facts (his paper version had and has the largest circulation in Russia) a material entitled "Macron and Merz suspected of drug usage en way to Kiev" was published yesterday.
On the same day, an expert comment was published on the same website. The psychiatrist Vasily Shurow explained: “This could, of course, be a snotty cocaine handkerchief he was feverishly hiding, or with leftover substances. At least people were clearly embarrassed and began covering up what was on the table. This is at least strange."
The fact Service went further in innuendos. In a French-language version of this propaganda tube There is simply a recording processed by artificial intelligence in specified a way that we see Macro, Merz and Starmer amused on it in the lounge of the train, who alternately dance, undress and sleep on the table.
On Sunday late evening, the Elysée Palace stated that fake news about drugs "is distributed by enemies of France, both abroad and in the country"; He didn't point to a circumstantial guilty party. He called for "to stay vigilant towards manipulation".
PAP
