On the morning of May 11, 2025, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted a false and defamatory claim on Telegram, alleging that illicit drugs were consumed during a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. There is absolutely no evidence to support this outrageous accusation, which appears to be part of a broader Russian disinformation effort aimed at discrediting Western leaders and undermining public trust in democratic institutions.
Variations of this wildly false claim have spread throughout social media. A tweet by Alex Jones repeating and amplifying this Russian disinformation, has been viewed by over 11 million Twitter/X users.
The Claim:
Russian spokeswoman Maria Zarkharova and Kremlin aligned influencers claim that Macron, Starmer, and Merz were allegedly taking cocaine during a meeting focused on peace in Ukraine, as inferred from a brief, innocuous video clip and the presence of a tissue paper and a coffee stir-stick.
The Facts:
- The Video: The clip shows a brief, tightly cropped interaction between leaders in a formal setting. No actual evidence of drug use is present—no suspicious behavior, no illicit substances, nothing visible that substantiates this bizarre claim. Conspiracy theorists like Jones claim that the tissue paper on the desk is evidence of illicit drug use.
- The Context of the Meeting: The clip likely comes from a meeting in which the leaders are discussing diplomatic matters—not unusual in any high-level gathering.
- Alex Jones’ Track Record: Jones is a Kremlin aligned U.S. conspiracy theorist known for deliberately spreading falsehoods, including those about Sandy Hook (for which he was ordered to pay over $1 billion in damages), COVID-19, and global elites. His platform frequently amplifies pro-Kremlin narratives under the guise of anti-globalism and anti-Western sentiment.
Narrative Context:
This tweet serves several core Russian information warfare objectives:
1. Discredit Western Leadership
- By falsely implying illicit behavior, the tweet seeks to erode public trust in major European leaders—particularly those supporting Ukraine against Russia.
- The portrayal of Starmer, Macron, and Merz as immoral or unstable delegitimizes their support for Ukraine and weakens public confidence in transatlantic unity.
2. Distract and Dehumanize
- Shocking false claims like drug use dominate social media discourse, shifting attention from substantive geopolitical decisions (like aid to Ukraine or NATO strategy) to tabloid-like distractions.
- Smears personalize geopolitical tensions, turning a policy discussion about war and peace into a scandal narrative.
3. Amplify Cynicism and Conspiracism
- The video appeals to far-right/left conspiracy theory audiences already predisposed to distrust “elites” or “globalists,” key targets in Russian influence campaigns.
- This aligns with broader Kremlin efforts to blur the lines between truth and fiction, weakening the cognitive resilience of Western populations.
4. Leverage Proxies to Spread Disinformation
- Alex Jones serves as a high-profile vector for Kremlin-aligned narratives under the umbrella of anti-establishment rhetoric. His platform bypasses mainstream media filters and reaches millions susceptible to conspiracies.
- Even if the claim is clearly false, its virality ensures disinformation reaches corners of discourse otherwise hard for Russian state media to access directly.
Conclusion:
This false claim, driven by a Kremlin narrative injected into Putin-aligned far-right/left social media networks about Macron, Starmer, and Merz is a textbook example of Kremlin conspiracy-driven disinformation that:
- Undermines trust in democratic leadership,
- Distracts from the critical issue of Russia’s war on Ukraine,
- And advances Kremlin objectives by fueling anti-Western sentiment through sensational lies.
