Emmanuel Macron's office is hitting back at reports that he had a bag of cocaine on a train while visiting Ukraine over the weekend.
Video circulated on social media after Macron was filmed removing a crumpled white object from a table as he sat by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as they traveled to Kyiv Saturday, Politico reported.
"This is a tissue. For blowing your nose," the Elysée Palace said on social media. "We must remain vigilant against manipulation. When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes as far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," it read.
The Elysée Palace blamed France's enemies for spreading disinformation. While it did not call anyone out specifically, Russian foreign ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova was among those circulating the video, Politico reported.
Macron's new international spokesman, Jean-Noël Ladois is credited with the office's new aggressive approach in pushing back against disinformation, Politico said.
"It's by denying them when they emerge that we weaken them," said an Elysée official to Politico.
Last month, the Elysée Palace attacked reports that President Donald Trump left Macron out of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican, Politico reported.