Le Pen condemns Russia's hostile actions against France
Two leading figures of France's far-right National Rally party, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, have taken a firm position towards Moscow in a statement released on Saturday 19 September.
Source: French radio network RTL, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella said Russia cannot "expect to dictate France's policy, directly or indirectly, through intimidation, threats, destabilisation or psychological pressure", condemning Moscow's hostile actions.
"No provocation, covert operation or destabilising action will be able to force France to facilitate Russia's pursuit of its military objectives in Ukraine," they added.
The statement came a day after a meeting at the Élysée Palace, attended by Jordan Bardella and intended to brief political forces on the geopolitical crises confronting France.
Le Pen, who leads the presidential race in opinion polls, regularly encounters criticism from her opponents over positions they regard as conciliatory towards Russian ruler Vladimir Putin.
The politicians said they strongly condemn Moscow's decision to take control of the assets of European companies that continue to operate in Russia, such as Nestlé and Auchan, calling it "a hostile act" that "directly undermines the interests and rights of our companies".
They also said they "support all measures necessary to strengthen the security of our strategic infrastructure", after French President Emmanuel Macron announced on 18 September that he had instructed the government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure from Russian hybrid attacks.
Acknowledging the "deterioration in the security situation" reported to political forces, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella said that "France cannot (...) leave unpunished any hostile actions carried out on its territory against its infrastructure, its strategic interests or its people".
Background:
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, citing intelligence data, that Russia is planning hybrid attacks against countries supporting Ukraine.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU plans to present a new security strategy intended to complement NATO's Article 4.
Your support on Patreon helps us keep the news free and accessible.