Le Pen says France cannot afford Ukraine aid if elected

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 11:44 · Archive

Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen says France can no longer finance Ukraine due to the country's deficit and weak growth.

Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday that France can no longer afford to fund Ukraine. She cited the country's high deficit and weak economic growth, describing France as in an 'extremely perilous situation'. According to the Daily Mail, she pledged to stop bilateral aid to Kyiv within six months if elected in next year's presidential vote. She is currently a frontrunner in polls, forecast to lead the first round of elections in April with more than 30 per cent.

Le Pen told the Financial Times that the EU should tell Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky it 'can't manage' to support his cause financially. She also accused Europe of waging an 'energy war' with Russia, telling the newspaper: 'We the EU have led an energy war against Russia, when we haven't got any energy. It is not very smart.' The Daily Mail reports that Le Pen has long opposed Ukraine's membership of the EU and criticised EU sanctions against Russia.

Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, said her campaign would prioritise French interests over those of other nations. She claimed the French State spends a significant sum that 'does not contribute to the country's development'.

How it is being reported

• Marine Le Pen says she would stop aid to Ukraine within six months of being elected and criticises Europe's 'energy war' with Putin as polls put her ahead in French presidential raceMarine Le Pen (pictured), who is a front-runner in the polls, pledged to stop bilateral aid for Kyiv within six months, saying France can no longer afford it.Daily Mail · 15 Oct, 11:33
• France 'can no longer finance' Ukraine, far-right presidential frontrunner Le Pen saysFar-right leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday that France could no longer afford to fund Ukraine, citing the country's high deficit and weak economic growth.France 24 · 15 Oct, 06:49

In this story: Marine Le Pen · France · Ukraine · Volodymyr Zelensky · Russia · European Union · National Rally

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem