According to a report by the British 'Financial Times' on October 14, French National Union leader Marine Le Pen, in an exclusive interview with the newspaper, again expressed her opposition to Ukraine's joining the EU, warning that accepting Ukraine would be equivalent to 'committing hara-kiri'.
Le Pen said that there is uncertainty as to whether France will continue to support the EU in providing funding to Ukraine if she wins the presidential election next year.
Currently leading in the polls, Le Pen has promised to stop French bilateral aid to Kiev, except for some operational support and training for Ukrainian soldiers. She believes that France is no longer able to bear the related costs.
Le Pen also implied that if she becomes the president of France, she may not support the EU’s financing plan for Ukraine that would impose additional financial burdens on France.
“To Mr. Zelensky, the most straightforward approach is to tell him or remind him: 'We can't provide any more assistance, we are unable to bear the responsibility.'" Léonce said. "The European Union has provided 90 billion Euros in loans, with France contributing 18 billion Euros. 18 billion Euros is a substantial sum."
Reports say that Le Pen has long had sympathy for Russia, and the party she leads received loans from a Russian bank. However, Le Pen stated that after the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict in 2022, she supported France providing financial and military assistance to Kiev, and expressed “unreserved and thorough condemnation” of Russian actions.
On the other hand, Le Pen reiterated her strong opposition to Ukraine joining the EU, stating that such an action would be akin to “committing suicide,” and would lead to a loss of French sovereignty, along with “huge economic losses.”
When asked whether Russia is a major threat to European security, Le Pen replied, “I don’t have Putin’s brain; I don’t know what plans Putin has.”
Le Pen's latest statements come at a time when Ukraine is accelerating the negotiation process to join the EU. On October 13, the Council of the EU announced that the EU and Ukraine have officially launched negotiations on the internal market, competitiveness, and inclusive growth, covering 17 negotiating chapters.
Ukraine gained the status of an EU candidate country in 2022, and negotiations for joining the EU were officially launched in June 2024. According to EU regulations, the acceptance of a new member state requires unanimous agreement from all member states. This means that any EU member state, including France, could prevent Ukraine from eventually joining the EU.
