Marine Le Pen has said the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) will not allow Ukraine to use French long-range weapons in the fight against the Russian invasion if the party is given a say in the government after today’s parliamentary elections.
Le Pen, a likely candidate for the RN in the 2027 presidential election, said in a speech to US broadcaster CNN that an RN government would also ensure that French troops are not stationed in Ukraine under any circumstances.
Le Pen confirmed the RN’s position after President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year refused to rule out sending French troops to Ukraine to help train Ukrainian forces.
While agreeing that Ukraine should be able to defend itself against Russian aggression, RN leader Jordan Bardella has spoken out against supplying weapons that could lead to an escalation of the war. France should not supply Ukraine with missiles and other weapons that could attack Russian territory, he has said.
The RN wants to play a key role in the French government after the second round of voting on Sunday. It hopes to crown the prime minister, should it win a majority in the National Assembly.
The party took the lead in the first round last Sunday, but recent polls indicate that the party will again take the lead in the second round, but will fail to win an outright majority.