France hits back at online rumours over cocaine pouch in Macron video

France has strongly rejected rumours about an alleged bag of cocaine belonging to President Emmanuel Macron on the train on the way to Kiev before the weekend.

"This is a tissue. For blowing your nose," the Élysée Palace wrote on its official X account overnight, showing a close-up of the crinkled white item on Macron's table.

Any suggestion that it was something more suspicious was wrong, the post said, blaming "France's enemies."

"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs. This fake news is being spread by France’s enemies, both abroad and at home. We must remain vigilant against manipulation."

Macron travelled to Ukraine on Friday evening together with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

A video of the three leaders meeting on the train left many wondering what the object was on the table at Macron's place. At one point, Macron hastily removes the white object from sight and hides it under his hand.

A rumour then spread online that it was a bag of cocaine. Merz, for his part, allegedly hid a spoon to consume cocaine.

High-resolution images show that the object in front of Merz is a stirrer for a drink or a small skewer for canapés, but not a spoon.

The allegations were also picked up and spread on Telegram by the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.