'Forgot to Clean Up': Macron, Merz, and the Viral Train Table Scandal

The Élysée Palace has responded to a viral video circulating on social media showing French President Emmanuel Macron quickly hiding a small packet during a train ride to Kyiv with other Western leaders. According to French officials, the item was merely a crumpled napkin, not a packet of drugs as some online sources had earlier claimed.

The video, shot inside a train car carrying European leaders to Ukraine, features Emmanuel Macron seated at a table alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The three appear in good spirits, smiling and casually chatting. However, as journalists approach with cameras, they are seen discreetly moving objects off the table.

Speculation and Reactions

The footage sparked immediate speculation online. Russian Telegram channel “Operation Z: War Correspondents of the Russian Spring” suggested that Macron was concealing a "suspicious packet" containing white powder, while Merz allegedly reached for a "small spoon"—alluding to drug paraphernalia. Ukrainian outlet Strana offered a tamer explanation, suggesting it might have been just a crumpled piece of paper.

Russian political analyst Sergey Markov posited that Macron may have been hiding medication for a health condition he doesn’t wish to publicize. Meanwhile, Ukrainian MP Artem Dmytruk sarcastically remarked that such behavior was typical for modern European leaders, calling it “new model politics: no brakes, no conscience, no roots.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mocked the Western leaders’ behavior, commenting:

"They forgot to put away their gear—the packet and the little spoon—before the journalists arrived."

Élysée Palace and French Media Push Back

The Élysée dismissed the allegations as part of a disinformation campaign.

"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far that a simple napkin looks like drugs,” a presidential spokesperson said, attributing the narrative to both domestic and foreign opponents of France.

French newspaper Libération backed the official explanation, noting that assumptions about illegal substances arose from low-resolution video stills. In higher-quality images, the object in question is clearly identifiable as a crumpled tissue or paper napkin. The newspaper also clarified that Merz was not handling a spoon but a coffee stirrer or possibly a toothpick.

While the viral video ignited a storm of speculation online, official clarifications and high-resolution images seem to confirm that no illicit activity took place. The incident underscores how rapidly misleading narratives can spread in the age of social media—particularly when fueled by geopolitical tensions.