Russian MFA spokeswoman comments on viral Macron aircraft video “Family matters should remain private”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has drawn attention for a sarcastic remark about French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, referencing a past viral incident involving the couple.

Speaking in an interview with Russian TV presenter Andrey Malakhov for the “Vesti” news service, Zakharova recalled footage that circulated last year showing an incident aboard the French presidential aircraft during a visit to Vietnam, in which Emmanuel Macron appeared to be struck by his wife as they disembarked.

“The ‘right hook’ — we never saw the end of that drama,” Zakharova said, laughing, in comments that quickly drew online attention.

She went on to suggest that private family matters should remain behind closed doors, while describing the episode as material more suited to satire and caricature. “I always think family matters are family matters… these kinds of things are for caricature, for ‘Charlie Hebdo’,” she added, referring to the French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo.

The footage in question, recorded during a stop in Hanoi, Vietnam, showed a brief interaction between the French president and his wife at the aircraft door. The clip went viral on social media and prompted widespread commentary at the time. The authenticity of the video was later acknowledged by the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French president Élysée Palace.

Zakharova had previously commented on the incident last year, joking that it could even be interpreted as a “hand of the Kremlin”, a remark that also circulated widely online.

By Aghakazim Guliyev