Marine Le Pen criticized Russiaʼs hostile actions and said that Moscow “cannot dictate French policy”

The leaders of the French far-right “National Rally” party Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella said that Russia cannot directly or indirectly dictate French policy. They also criticized Moscowʼs hostile actions against France.

RTL writes about this.

“No provocation, no covert operation, and no destabilizing action should force France to facilitate Russia’s military goals in Ukraine,” they said.

At the same time, Le Pen and Bardella added that democratic debate should concern the amount of financial aid the country provides to Ukraine and the conditions under which it is provided. However, they added, "such debates are legitimate, while foreign pressure is not".

These statements came against the backdrop of Le Pen, who is the frontrunner in the presidential election according to polls, but she is regularly criticized for a position that is too condescending towards Vladimir Putin.

Marine Le Penʼs case

Marine Le Pen is a French MP and one of the leaders of the far-right National Rally party, which advocates for strengthening Franceʼs ties with Russia and against aid to Ukraine. She has run for president several times — in 2012, 2017, and 2022, and was also planning to run in the 2027 campaign.

However, in July 2024, the Paris prosecutorʼs office opened a judicial investigation against Le Pen on suspicion of illegal financing of the presidential campaign during the 2022 elections. The politician and her associates were accused of paying for the work of the National Rally staff from funds intended for the work of the European Parliament. The court estimated the damage from the actions of the defendants in 2024 at €2.9 million.

On March 31, 2025, Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison for embezzlement of public funds. Of these four years, two were suspended and another two were under house arrest with the wearing of an electronic bracelet.

In addition, Le Pen was fined €100 000 and banned from holding public office for five years, effectively depriving her of the opportunity to participate in the 2027 presidential election.

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