Marine Le Pen estimated, Friday, April 8 on franceinfo, “have a reasonable position” against Russia and Vladimir Putin. Criticized for her close relationship with the Russian leader, the National Rally candidate wanted to clarify her position, which: “was to condemn Russia when it invaded Ukraine in the clearest possible way”† For her, what is happening in Ukraine “is not completely black or completely white” but she refrained from closing her eyes to the Russian invasion. “This armed aggression was inadmissible under international law and we voted in the European Parliament for an extremely strong condemnation of this Russian aggression”she repeated, in the same way she said: “Yes” to punishment.
Marine Le Pen, however, reiterated her opposition to an embargo on Russian imports. “The only thing I don’t want is sanctions on raw materials that will have serious consequences for the French and the rest of the world”she said, when the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for an embargo on Thursday “total and immediate” on import “oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas” Russians. The candidate of the National Rally is certain “against anything that can multiply the bill of the French by four five or six”reaffirming its purpose “First of all, defend the French and their purchasing power”.
“The sanctions are being used to put pressure on Russia and bring about the return of peace, not to cause hara-kiri.”
Marine Le Penat franceinfo
It’s not a matter “to create the conditions for very great violence against our compatriots”, she added, saying she was convinced this would not make it possible to actually reach Russia. The consequence, in her view, of such an embargo would be to leave Russia, “the first country in the world to produce raw materials”† partner with China, the largest factory in the world”† Marine le Pen warned against “the power” that would come from this coalition that “would be a big problem for France”.
When asked about her comments about Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, she recalled that she had only “said there had been a referendum” and the Crimea “has only been Ukrainian for 27 years in its entire history”† “Maybe” that this referendum was not recognized by the international community, she half-acknowledged “but no one left Crimea to apply for asylum”, she justified herself.
“Emmanuel Macron received Mr. Poutine three years later in Brégançon [l’annexion de la Crimée]it didn’t seem to bother him and he made comments that were reasonable comments”noted Marine Le Pen, who thus denounced the fact “that we try to demonize it”† According to her she has “defended at the time what all the presidents of the French Republic defended during their tenure” in a desire to “not to make Russia a pariah in Europe, but to reaffirm it” to the old continent.
