Leaders of the far-right National Rally (RN) party in France declared on Saturday that Russia “cannot expect to dictate, directly or indirectly, France’s policies through intimidation, threats, destabilization, or psychological pressure,” according to reports.
Marine Le Pen, who is favored in the upcoming presidential elections, and Jordan Bardella, head of the RN, condemned Russia’s “hostile” actions against France in a joint statement issued on Saturday.
Joint Statement from French Far-Right Leaders
This declaration follows Russia’s decision to confiscate assets belonging to European companies still operating in the country, including French firms Auchan and Lemana Pro (formerly Leroy Merlin), as well as Swiss company Nestlé.
Le Pen’s presidential rivals have accused her of being close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Notably, her party previously took out a loan of €9.4 million (approximately $11 million) from a bank in Moscow, which was repaid in 2023.
Although Le Pen visited Moscow in 2017 to meet with Putin, she has since denounced Russia’s war against Ukraine, which began in 2022.
“No provocation, clandestine operation, or destabilizing action will compel France to facilitate Russia’s war objectives in Ukraine,” Le Pen and Bardella stated in their Saturday announcement.
Macron: “Russian Hybrid Threat Has Intensified”
French President Emmanuel Macron convened a meeting with political leaders on Friday to discuss international developments, including the growing threat posed by Moscow.
Le Pen did not attend this meeting.
Macron promised a response to what he described as an escalation of Russian hybrid operations against Europe and France, stating he has asked his government to develop a plan to protect critical infrastructure from drone attacks and cyberattacks.
“In recent weeks, the threat to Europeans and France, particularly the Russian hybrid threat, has intensified,” the French president remarked following the meeting, as reported by Reuters. He accused Moscow of attempting to intimidate Europe and undermine its resolve to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
