France Erupts in Political Row Over Le Pen’s Far-Right Party’s Stance on Ukraine
In France, several political forces have condemned Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally over its stance on aid to Ukraine. Party leader Jordan Bardella said the National Rally would continue to support Ukraine but opposed what he called the “endless funding of war.”
This is reported by Le Monde.
The criticism came after statements by the vice president of the National Unity, Louis Aliot, who confirmed the party’s intention to stop financial and military support for Ukraine if it comes to power.
The leader of the French Ecologist party, Marine Tondelier, said that the position of the far-right demonstrates their attitude towards Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“For them, Putin’s possible victory in Ukraine is not a problem; it’s even what they seek; it’s their natural ally in this conflict,” Tondelier said.
The leader of the center-left Public Space party, Rafael Glucksman, said that the National Unity Party should not come to power in 2027. According to him, this would mean Vladimir Putin’s victory and the defeat of European democracies.
“We Europeans are a target for the Russian regime. Any weakness, any submission is just an invitation to aggression,” Glucksmann said.
He also called the National Unity “the party of obedience to Putin’s Russia, obedience to Trump’s USA, and the party of foreign interests.”
French presidential candidate and mayor of Le Havre, Edouard Philippe, also criticized the far-right’s position.
“To turn off the taps for Ukraine is to serve Russia. The National Unity has changed its position on almost all issues, except for supporting the Putin regime against French and European interests,” Philippe wrote.
He added that the weakening of Ukraine is a threat to the security of Europe and France.
At the same time, Marine Le Pen confirmed her intention to reconsider her support for Ukraine if she wins the presidential election. She stated that since the beginning of the full-scale war, she has been in favor of a diplomatic settlement and holding an international peace conference.
Le Pen also criticized the French government’s policy towards Russia, accused opponents of continuing the bloodshed, and claimed attempts to discredit her party.
The day before, Le Pen and Edouard Philippe publicly argued over aid to Ukraine. Philippe accused his opponent of posing a security threat to Europe and France, while Le Pen responded by recalling receptions Philippe held with Vladimir Putin a few years ago and accusing him of slander.
Recall that NATO fears that after the presidential elections in France in 2027, the new head of state may withdraw the country from the Alliance’s integrated military command. Such a scenario could weaken NATO’s military coordination and call into question French participation in joint forces and operations.
Earlier, the Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into possible Russian interference in the upcoming presidential campaign in France. Law enforcement officers are investigating the spread of fake news about potential candidates Gabriel Attal, Edouard Philippe, and Raphael Glucksmann.
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