Le Pen Will Cut Off EU Funding for Ukraine If She Wins the Election

Far-right French presidential candidate and de facto leader of the National Rally party Marine Le Pen has stated that if elected, she will demand cuts to the EU budget and refuse to continue supporting EU and French funding for Ukraine. She is also opposed to Ukraine’s EU membership.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Le Pen noted that France can no longer afford to provide bilateral aid to Kyiv, with the exception of certain operational support and military training. She also expressed her intention to block consideration of the EU’s new seven-year budget framework—which allocates up to 100 billion euros to Ukraine—by withholding part of France’s contribution.

In addition, the politician once again spoke out against Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, calling such a move “economic harakiri” for France, and expressed support for the idea of holding a “major peace conference” to achieve a diplomatic settlement of the war.

Source: “European Truth.”

In Paris, former French Prime Minister and presidential candidate Édouard Philippe stated that the proposals of his far-right rival Marine Le Pen regarding the European Union could undermine the bloc’s unity.

French presidential candidate and leader of the conservative “Republicans” party, Bruno Retailleau, called on the country to seek a reduction in its contribution to the European Union budget. He attributed this position to the difficult state of French public finances.