Far-right French politician calls on Ukraine to “pay” for European aid
Jordan Bardella, leader of the French far-right National Rally party, said that France’s support for Ukraine should become more pragmatic. He suggested demanding guarantees from Kyiv, in particular regarding the use of European financial assistance to purchase equipment from European defense industry manufacturers.
This is reported by Bloomberg .
Bardella stated that due to its significant national debt and deficit, France should receive some return in exchange for military aid to Ukraine.
“We were drowning in debt. We are drowning in deficits. And it is irresponsible to make spending commitments and promises of financial support to the country without any guarantees,” Bardella said.
He also spoke favorably of the US approach, which, he said, demanded some compensation from Ukraine for its support, including access to rare earth resources.
At the same time, Bardella said that France would not abandon Ukraine if the National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen wins the presidential election and succeeds Emmanuel Macron. At the same time, he suggested that Ukraine guarantee the use of financial support from European countries to purchase equipment exclusively from defense companies of these states.
Bardella also expressed support for close relations with the United States and stated that his political views largely correspond to the position of US President Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump, like many of the world’s top leaders today, speaks the language of strength, sovereignty and the defense of national interests,” Bardella said.
He also criticized European Union regulations and said France should create conditions for the development of technology companies and artificial intelligence. He said the country could use its significant nuclear capacity to attract the data centers needed for the development of AI.
As a reminder, 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 France’s 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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