Category France

Fake: 71% of French Dream of Putin Leading Their Country – Le Figaro

This video is fake. Propagandists used the French newspaper's branding to fabricate a story about a non-existent poll. According to recent polls, Putin is widely disliked in France - only 10% of respondents view him positively.

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Fact Check: Zelenskyy Did NOT Buy French Bank Milleis Via Maltex In February 2025

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy buy the French bank Milleis in February 2025 using the offshore company Maltex? No, that's not true: No credible media organization reported this story, as of March 6, 2025. A viral video purporting to be a TV news report about it displayed a non-existent TV channel logo. And the video contained inauthentic, AI-generated audio, according to two AI detectors.

Read MoreFact Check: Zelenskyy Did NOT Buy French Bank Milleis Via Maltex In February 2025

Macron didn’t call Putin a ‘butcher’ in news conference with Trump

What was claimed: A video shows the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, calling Vladimir Putin a "butcher" and commenting on his "war crimes" during a press conference with US president Donald Trump.

Our verdict: This isn't quite right. Mr Macron referred to killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and mentioned war crimes, but did not describe President Putin as a "butcher".

Read MoreMacron didn’t call Putin a ‘butcher’ in news conference with Trump

Viral Photos Of Zelenskyy In Suit Predate 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

Claim: Volodymyr Zelenskyy wore a suit while meeting Emmanuel Macron and Klaus Schwab, but opted for a non-formal sweatshirt during his visit to the Oval Office.

Fact: Photos of Zelenskyy with Macron and Schwab were taken prior to the Russian invasion of February 2022.

Read MoreViral Photos Of Zelenskyy In Suit Predate 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

Fake: France Suffers From Bedbugs Influx Due to Anti-Russian Sanctions

The French media La Montagne did not publish an article entitled "Sanctions against Russia led to a bedbug epidemic in Paris." Most likely, a screenshot of this publication was created in a photo editor. Mass appearances of bedbugs are not related to anti-Russian sanctions, but to the insects adapting to insecticides, climate change and people beginning to travel more in crowded transport.

Read MoreFake: France Suffers From Bedbugs Influx Due to Anti-Russian Sanctions

Fake: France Congratulates Ukraine on Independence Day With a Map without Crimea

The photo on the billboard is fake. Moreover, the picture used captures a traffic stop in Denmark's capital Copenhagen, and not in France. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the Crimea platform on August 23, once again emphasized that France does not recognize Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories.

Read MoreFake: France Congratulates Ukraine on Independence Day With a Map without Crimea

How pro-Russian propaganda sites doctored a FRANCE 24 programme

A number of Russian Telegram channels have been sharing a caricature of French President Emmanuel Macron depicted as a rooster, claiming that it was broadcast by FRANCE 24 in a programme that aired on March 13. However, the image circulating is a doctored version of the cover of a French magazine called L'Hémicycle. The FRANCE 24 clip has also been doctored to include it.

Read MoreHow pro-Russian propaganda sites doctored a FRANCE 24 programme