Le Pen Threatens to Cut Funding for Aid to Ukraine: How Zelenskyy Is Responding
Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen plans to drastically cut the country's contributions to the European Union budget if she wins the election. She also wants to limit the European Commission's powers and has expressed doubts about Ursula von der Leyen's leadership.
As the Financial Times notes, during an interview, Le Pen made it clear that she aims to transform the European Union from within. According to opinion polls, she has a good chance of becoming France’s leader as early as next spring.
What Le Pen’s Plan Entails
The politician is counting on the success of her like-minded colleagues in Spain, Italy, and Poland, which would allow for sweeping changes across the entire bloc. She emphasized that politics is a matter of convictions that come up against limitations.
She also criticized the head of the European Commission. According to her, Ursula von der Leyen may not serve out her full term until 2029, as she has already lost the trust of many European governments. In addition, Le Pen expressed outrage at Brussels’ attempts to adopt a new long-term EU budget before the 2027 French elections, calling it a disregard for democratic processes.
Against the backdrop of a looming debt crisis in France, where public debt has reached 119 percent of GDP, Le Pen presented a five-year plan to reduce the deficit by 140 billion euros. It calls for cuts to government spending, tax reductions, and a reduction in contributions to the European budget. Although a unilateral reduction in contributions violates EU treaties, the politician is prepared for a fierce confrontation.
Threats to Cut Aid to Ukraine
The leader of France’s far-right intends to halt aid to Kyiv, leaving only minimal operational support and training for Ukrainian fighters.
Le Pen stated that Paris can no longer afford such expenditures. In particular, she plans to block the allocation of funds to Ukraine from the EU budget to ensure that France does not end up with additional costs.
To be honest with Mr. Zelenskyy is to tell him – in fact, to warn him: Listen, we can’t do any more. We’ve already provided loans totaling 90 billion euros, of which 18 billion comes from France. That’s a truly large sum,
Le Pen stated.
The draft seven-year EU budget includes a special mechanism to support Ukraine in the amount of up to 100 billion euros. However, Le Pen is determined to block the adoption of this budget by withholding nearly half of France’s contribution.
Zelenskyy’s Response
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on Le Pen’s rhetoric, noting that she underestimates the benefits of cooperation with Ukraine.
The goal is to help Ukraine become strong, and in return, Ukraine will ensure security and share its experience. Incidentally, the cost of this is not as high as human lives. Therefore, I think Ms. Le Pen isn’t delving too deeply into the details,
– the head of state emphasized.
As an example of mutual benefit, he cited the French-Italian SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile system, which effectively intercepts ballistic and cruise missiles. In turn, French defense companies need Ukraine’s battlefield experience, Zelenskyy believes.
In addition, as previously reported, Marine Le Pen is categorically opposed to Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. She stated that this would harm French farmers due to competition with the Ukrainian agricultural sector, and her political party refers to Kyiv’s European integration as its “red line.”