Activists Steal Macron Waxwork as Message Against Russian Trade

A statue of President Macron was taken to showcase the hypocrisy in France's support for Ukraine while maintaining trade ties with Russia.

In a bold act of protest, environmental activists from Greenpeace stole a waxwork figure of French President Emmanuel Macron from the Grevin Museum in Paris. Posing as tourists, the activists changed into work attire, draped the statue with a blanket, and stealthily exited through an emergency exit, according to a police source who spoke to AFP.

Following the theft, the wax figure was taken to the Russian embassy, where the activists displayed it along with placards criticizing Macron's stance on French companies that continue to engage in business with Russia amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The waxwork, valued at approximately €40,000 (£33,765; $45,674), has yet to be recovered, and no arrests have been made.

Jean-Francois Julliard, the head of Greenpeace France, emphasized that Paris is engaged in a "double game" by supporting Ukraine while allowing gas and fertilizer imports from Russia. He believes Macron epitomizes this contradictory approach and argues that he should lead the charge among European leaders to terminate trade agreements with Russian firms.

A BBC analysis from May highlighted that Russia has continued to earn significant revenues from its fossil fuel exports, even to nations that have imposed sanctions. Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has reportedly made over €883 billion (£740 billion; $973 billion) from such exports, with EU member states contributing €209 billion (£176 billion; $238 billion) to that figure, of which €17.9 billion (£15.1 billion; $20.4 billion) came from France alone.

Amid the conflict, France has offered military support to Ukraine and implemented various sanctions against Russia and its citizens. President Macron has also warned of potential additional sanctions against Moscow if it fails to cooperate in seeking a ceasefire.