Claims: A viral video supposedly detailing a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron has been circulating on social media. The video purports to show the two leaders discussing the situation in Ukraine and the Russian invasion. The video captures their intense discussion as they grapple with the shocking extent of the invasion.
Full text: Zelensky expressed his readiness for negotiations with Russia and urged the U.S.-led West to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin to prevent further escalation of the conflict.
In the video, Macron was visibly concerned upon realising the gravity of the situation. He asked about the movement of Russian military forces in Ukraine, particularly in Kyiv and Odesa.
Zelensky confirmed that Russian troops were everywhere in Kyiv, Odesa, and even from Belarus. He emphasised that the scale of the invasion was unprecedented since 2014. Macron responded with shock, acknowledging that it was indeed “total war.”
Zelensky stressed the importance of speaking with Putin and forming an anti-war coalition to end the conflict through diplomatic means.
The video highlights the urgency and gravity of the situation, as both leaders grappled with the unfolding crisis.
Recall that the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, causing widespread destruction and civilian casualties. The invasion caused a large-scale humanitarian and refugee crisis, with millions of Ukrainians forced to flee their homes. As of June 2022, Russian troops had occupied approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Verification: To verify the video’s genuity, PRNigeria fact-check used a reverse image search to determine if the footage had previously been published online.
Our findings show that the video of the same footage appeared to have first surfaced online in September 2022.
Further findings reveal that the footage is an excerpt from a 115mins french documentary titled, “A President, Europe and War” which chronicles how the French president, Emmanuel Macron, surrounded by his staff of advisers and government officials, has dealt with the war in Ukraine.
Written by Journalist Guy Lagache and Directed by the Writer alongside Laurence Thomas-Dutour, the documentary features similar dialogues between Macron, Putin and other world leaders.
The documentary follows president Macron and his councils in the days leading up to the outbreak of war and threw the first four months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The documentary portrays a unique outlook on world leaders’ diplomatic assessment and decision-making during Europe’s biggest crisis since the World War 2.
PRNigeria fact-check team confirms that indeed the media was awash with reports of several conversations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
For instance, in February, 2022 president Macron engaged in a shuttle diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine over the invasion.
And on November 1, 2022, President Macron had a phone call with President Zelensky, where they discussed the situation on the ground and the latest developments in Ukraine’s counter-offensive.
Fact-check investigation also revealed some TikTokers recently sharing this old video to gain followers and traction on their various platforms.
Conclusion: Findings by PRNigeria fact check team reveals that the video first emerged in September 2022 and it is an excerpt from French documentary, “A President, Europe and War,” written and Directed by Journalist Guy Lagache which featured similar conversations between Macron and other world leaders.
PRNigeria therefore concludes that passing the video as a recent conversation between Macron and Zelensky is misleading.
By PRNigeria
