Leading pro-Russian politician in France expressed support for Ukraine
Photo: leader of the French party National Rally Marine Le Pen (Getty Images)
One of the most pro-Russian politicians in the European Union, the leader of the French party National Rally, Marine Le Pen, unexpectedly expressed support for Ukraine, according to the politician's social media page X.
"Towards the Ukrainian nation, we owe it to express our respect and our support. By attacking Ukraine, Russia has provoked a war on the doorstep of the EU and the most dramatic geopolitical crisis in the last 20 years," Le Pen said during her speech in the National Assembly.
En envahissant l’Ukraine le 24 février 2022, la Russie a déclenché une guerre aux portes de l’UE et une crise géopolitique qui est sans doute la plus dramatique de ces vingt dernières années. À la nation ukrainienne agressée, nous devons notre respect et notre soutien. pic.twitter.com/AjOto8Vzsy
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) March 12, 2024
The politician also added that Russia's war against Ukraine "will inevitably end in negotiations." According to her, the goal of France and its allies should be to ensure that "when the time comes, Ukraine finds itself in the most favorable situation for the restoration of its territorial integrity."
At the same time, Le Pen and her party abstained from voting on the Security Agreement concluded between Ukraine and France in February of this year.
Who is Marine Le Pen
Marine Le Pen is one of the most well-known proponents of strengthening the international relations between Russia and France.
Under her leadership, the party is the only one in France that has supported Russia's viewpoint against any intervention in the Syrian conflict. She has also repeatedly expressed support for Russia's actions in Ukraine and spoken favorably about the annexation of Crimea.
In 2022, Le Pen condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine but called for "a balanced position towards Ukraine and to formulate sanctions that would enable peace to be achieved, rather than to damage the French economy."
In September of the previous year, French law enforcement announced intentions to prosecute Le Pen in a case of alleged misuse of EU funds. The trial is scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2024.
Additionally, Marine Le Pen is suspected of having connections with Russia. Several politicians have appealed to the Paris prosecutor's office to open new criminal cases against her.
