Key facts
- Marine Le Pen said France should scale back financial aid to Ukraine due to domestic constraints.
- Le Pen stated France can continue to provide defensive military gear and training to Ukraine.
- Le Pen argued that France cannot afford to spend money abroad while domestic needs like pensions are unmet.
- France's public deficit could exceed 5% this year.
- The National Rally has opposed the EU's €90 billion loan to Kyiv.
- Le Pen plans to organize a peace conference involving Russia, Ukraine, and other European countries.
French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen stated on Wednesday evening that France should reduce its financial aid to Ukraine, citing domestic financial constraints. Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, said that while France can continue to train Ukrainian soldiers and provide defensive equipment, it cannot afford to send more money.
"Given the extent of what we've done so far — which is considerable — we're saying we can't do it anymore," Le Pen said on TV channel LCI. She argued that France's domestic needs, such as adjusting pensions for inflation, should take precedence over extensive foreign spending.
Le Pen is leading in polls ahead of the presidential election next spring. The campaign has focused on France's strained finances, with a public deficit that could exceed 5% this year. The National Rally has long opposed the EU's €90 billion loan to Kyiv, with party officials privately suggesting that Ukraine will never be able to repay it.
While the National Rally has internal divisions regarding Russia, Ukraine, and NATO, Le Pen's rivals have accused her party of aiding the Kremlin. Le Pen also proposed organizing a peace conference to end the war, involving Russia, Ukraine, and other European countries like Germany and Poland. She pushed back against proposals from rivals to protect Ukraine's skies with French fighter jets, stating it would make France a co-belligerent.