Leader of French Right Calls to Replace Aid to Ukraine with Pragmatism
Jordan Bardella emphasized that France would not "abandon" Ukraine, but the format of interaction should change.
The leader of the French party "National Rally," Jordan Bardella, criticized France's current financial policy regarding Ukraine. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, the politician, considered a likely candidate for prime minister if Marine Le Pen wins the presidential election, called for replacing "unconditional support" with more "pragmatic" and mutually beneficial relations.
According to Bardella, France's weakened financial position does not allow the country to continue providing military and financial assistance to Kyiv. The politician's main argument was the critical situation with the state budget.
"We are drowning in debt. We are mired in deficits. And it is irresponsible to take on spending commitments and make promises of financial support — without any guarantees," Bardella stated.
The politician emphasized that if Marine Le Pen wins, France will not "abandon" Ukraine, but the format of interaction must change.
As an alternative, Bardella proposed a model similar to the US approach, which demands certain concessions or guarantees from Ukraine in exchange for support (e.g., access to rare-earth metals).
He suggested that France could negotiate for all financial aid provided by European countries to be directed exclusively to the purchase of armaments and equipment from the defense industries of these very states.
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