Vladimir Putin snubbing Emmanuel Macron? This is the misleading sequence circulating on social networks, in the midst of a diplomatic crisis over Ukraine. In this video of about twenty seconds,
we see the russian president pass in front of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, installed in a gallery, then stop to shake hands with Angela Merkel, installed to the right of the French president. Vladimir Putin then greets Donald and Melania Trump, under the gaze of the French presidential couple.
“I can’t get enough of it”, “priceless”, the sequence sparked mocking comments.
FAKE OFF
The video is truncated: Vladimir Putin shook hands with Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, as we can see in this video from France 24. The sequence dates back to 2018, during the centenary of the Armistice of the First World War. More than 70 heads of state and government had been invited to the celebrations at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The truncated footage resurfaces as representatives from France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine met in Paris on Wednesday to try to ease tensions between Moscow and Kiev. The Élysée felt that it had received a “good signal” from the Russians at the end of this meeting. Tensions are building between Russians and Ukrainians, as the Russian military launched military maneuvers near the Ukrainian border and in Crimea on Tuesday.