The team led by Emmanuel Macron has responded to unfounded rumours about the president and is refusing to back down.

One brief moment during the French leader’s weekend meeting with European leaders caused a huge commotion on social media.

In an attempt to mediate a settlement between Ukraine and Russia, Macron met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv.

Macron did, however, take one action prior to media images that appeared to fuel the rumour mill.

While sharing a meal with the leaders, the French president was observed taking a crumpled white object off of it.

From this little move, individuals all over Twitter have begun to suspect him of doing narcotics with the leaders, notably cocaine.

You could wonder, then, what was the small white object?

Unsurprisingly, it was just a bit of crumpled tissue and not the outrageous, unlawful scandal that some people might have hoped for.

The Elysée Palace used social media on Sunday, May 11, to ridicule the people who had been spreading the rumours and to refute them.

The post read: “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.”

Although “France’s enemies” doesn’t specifically blame anyone, Maria Zakharova, a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry, was one of the people who posted the conspiracy theory online.

A close-up of the tissue prior to Macron picking it up was also included in the article.

Many rumours persisted in spite of this, with some social media users shifting the goalpost or continuing to imply that drugs played a role in the meeting.

One user commented, “If it was a tissue, why did Macron attempt to hide it discreetly?”

“And why did they all stop smiling and laughing, and began looking awkward and uncomfortable shortly after it was hidden?”

Another said, “It wasn’t the tissue that was the issue. It was the way Macron picked it up and hid it that raised suspicions. Nobody would do what he did if it was just a piece of tissue.”

With a third adding, “Why is Mr. Macron not taking a drug test and prove the disinformation theorists wrong?”

The French presidency has apparently taken a harsher stance on disinformation, whereas many would have simply let the rumours go.

An Elysée official who was granted anonymity said, “It’s by denying them when they emerge that we weaken them.”