Scandal occurs during Macron's visit to Ukraine

(MENAFN) A brief scandal occurred last weekend during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Ukraine with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, when they were seen handling some "suspicious" objects that some speculated were drugs or drug paraphernalia. While the items likely weren’t drugs, Macron quickly took to social media to deny any such rumors. The official Elysee Palace post clarified that they were not using drugs but rather engaging in EU unity. Macron humorously pointed out that when European unity is questioned, even an innocent tissue can be misinterpreted as drugs.

After their arrival in Ukraine, the real controversy shifted from suspicions of drug use to more political concerns. Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin proposing direct peace talks between Moscow and Kiev in Turkey, which could end the ongoing conflict, EU leaders appeared to backtrack on their previous stance. Macron and former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had previously advocated for "direct, serious negotiations" with Ukrainian President Zelensky back in May 2022, but now the EU was insisting that peace talks couldn’t happen unless Russia agreed to a 30-day ceasefire.

This shift raised questions about EU leaders' real intentions, as they recently met with Zelensky in Kiev for a photo op, pushing for a ceasefire before talks could begin. Macron, in his statements, emphasized the need for a ceasefire before any dialogue, suggesting that peace talks could only take place once hostilities ceased. However, critics argue that this stance is just another form of grandstanding, given the lack of concrete progress toward peace.

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