France cannot continue to fund Ukraine indefinitely without any guarantees, said Jordan Bardella, co-leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, in an interview with Bloomberg TV published on September 6. The nationalist and anti-immigration RN party is currently the most popular political force in France, and its co-leader Marine Le Pen is considered the frontrunner in the next presidential election.
RN party position on aid to Ukraine
Despite his tough rhetoric, Jordan Bardella did not call for a complete end to support for Ukraine, noting that France should help Kyiv defend its territorial integrity. The RN co-leader added that his party has long advocated for a ceasefire and the provision of security guarantees for Kyiv.
“We cannot fund the war effort indefinitely, first of all, without getting anything in return,” the politician emphasized. “And above all, we cannot give to another state resources that we no longer have ourselves,” he added, noting that France is “drowning in debt.”
Context of French support
France remains one of Ukraine’s most important strategic allies during the full-scale war with Russia, providing fighter jets, long-range missiles, intelligence, and other assistance. French President Emmanuel Macron is a leader of the Coalition of the Willing, a group of over 30 countries coordinating aid to Ukraine and preparing security guarantees, including the possible deployment of peacekeeping forces led by European countries.
Emmanuel Macron will not run for another term as he is completing his second mandate. Initially, Jordan Bardella was considered a potential candidate for the RN after Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzlement in March and barred from running. However, a court ruling in July cleared the way for her to participate in the election. Polls consistently show that Marine Le Pen is ahead of all other potential candidates.
Since the start of the full-scale war in 2022, the RN party has attempted to move away from some of its pro-Russian positions. At the same time, its leadership maintains a cautious stance toward Kyiv and criticizes the scale of support provided by the administration of Emmanuel Macron.
Source: Kyiv Independent
