French President Emmanuel Macron‘s office has issued a scornful statement after he was accused of hiding a cocaine pouch on his approach to Ukraine, the place he was accompanied by German chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.“When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs,” Macron’s office stated in a statement, accusing France’s enemies of making an attempt to undermine European unity.“This fake news is being spread by France’s enemies, both abroad and at home. We must remain vigilant against manipulation,” the statement continued, with out specifying the enemy international locations.“This is a tissue. For blowing your nostril,” it stated.
Russia spreads cocaine hoax
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot accused Russia of being “determined” to prevent peace in Ukraine. “You at the moment are propagating blatant hoaxes. This is irresponsible — and lame.”He noted in his post on X that the disinformation has been spread by both Zakharova and Kirill Dmitriev, the senior Russian official who is the point man for talks with the United States on Ukraine.Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation accused Russia of seeking to discredit the initiatives backed by the European leaders to end the three-year-long conflict sparked by Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.“This shameful incident speaks volumes concerning the present ‘degree’ of Russian diplomacy, which has lengthy devolved right into a instrument of disinformation,” it said.
‘If it were a tissue’
The statement did not put the rumors to rest as social media users asked why Macron was seen hiding the white thing if it was a tissue. “Why is the tissue plastic and glossy,” one consumer requested. “It wasn’t the tissue that was the problem. It was the best way Macron picked it up and hid it that raised suspicions. Nobody would do what he did if it was only a piece of tissue,” one wrote.