Le Pen opposes further French financial aid to Ukraine
Photo: Marine Le Pen (Getty Images)
French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said Paris could no longer continue providing financial support to Ukraine at the same level. At the same time, she supported maintaining military aid and training for Ukrainian troops, according to LCI.
According to Le Pen, the current situation with public finances requires the French authorities to make decisions about priorities. She cited spending related to support for Ukraine as one example.
"I am ready to make choices," the politician said.
What aid she would maintain
Le Pen stressed that, in her view, cutting financial support should not mean ending aid to Ukraine altogether.
"This is not a hostile move toward Ukraine. We can continue to train their soldiers and army, as well as provide them with equipment for defense, but financially we are no longer able to do this. Ultimately, you cannot claim on the one hand that there is not a single euro for pension indexation while finding billions for European contributions."
What Le Pen said about Rafale
The French presidential candidate also commented on a proposal by some politicians to send French Rafale fighter jets to protect Kyiv's airspace.
Le Pen said she considered French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to reject such a move to be the right one. According to her, sending the aircraft could result in France becoming directly involved in the war.
At the same time, she proposed holding a "peace conference to end this conflict," describing the war as a "real bloody slaughter" that has lasted "longer than World War I" and "must be stopped."
Le Pen said she intends to hold talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin. She would also like to involve Germany, Poland and Turkey in the process.
"I believe that France's historic role is precisely to create the conditions for negotiations that will pave the way to peace - just as we did in the case of Vietnam," she concluded.
It was previously reported that if she wins the presidential election, Marine Le Pen intends to review support for Ukraine, while her main rival, Édouard Philippe, opposes such a course.
