Viral video fuels controversy: Did EU leaders sniff cocaine in Kyiv?

International Desk

Published: May 13, 2025, 11:56 AM

Viral video fuels controversy: Did EU leaders sniff cocaine in Kyiv?

The video shows the three talking at a table with documents, glasses of water, and a small white object.

A video featuring three prominent European leaders—German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer—has gone viral on social media, sparking widespread controversy.

The video was taken during their recent joint visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, last week and has since become the subject of intense speculation, particularly in German political and media circles.

The video, which was first shared by American radio host Alex Jones on X (formerly Twitter), shows the three leaders sitting at a table with documents, glasses of water, and a small white object.

Jones alleged that the white object was a packet of cocaine and pointed to a slim, spoon-like item on the table that he claimed was used for drug consumption.

He further claimed that Macron picked up the white object and hid it in his hand while Merz removed the spoon-like object from the table. The video has since been viewed nearly 19 million times on X.

Despite the sensational claims, German media reported on Monday (May 12) that there is no evidence to support the accusations.

However, the video has fueled a storm of speculation online, prompting statements from government officials and political parties seeking to clarify the situation.

The French government and Germany’s ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Merz’s party, have firmly denied the allegations.

While the German government has not issued an official statement, German outlets published a response from France’s Élysée Palace, stating that misleading information was being spread to portray a simple tissue as a drug in order to undermine European unity.

The CDU also posted on X, saying, “It was clearly a handkerchief. Anti-democratic forces are trying to weaken European unity and social cohesion. We will stand firmly against them.”

German media further noted that Russian propaganda has long portrayed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a drug user.

This latest incident appears to be part of a continued effort to discredit Zelensky and Ukraine by associating them with drug use and other negative imagery, aiming to influence public perception and sow distrust.

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