Marine Le Pen, the right-wing candidate for the French presidential election, announced that she will not make a decision to exit NATO command as long as the war in Ukraine continues. In remarks at the Playbook Paris Live summit, she stated: "As long as there is a war on the doorstep of Europe, this is not the right time to act in this regard, but of course my will to do so remains."
Background of Le Pen's Views
Le Pen, who is considered a frontrunner in the presidential election polls, along with Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leftist candidate, has called for France to exit this military alliance. This has raised concerns at NATO headquarters about the future of France's defense policy. While Le Pen had previously stated that she would withdraw France from NATO command during her first presidential term, her recent remarks indicate a slight shift in her position.
Le Pen also emphasized that France should not enter into a war with Russia, a nuclear power, noting that her country is currently not in any conflict with Moscow, despite the Kremlin's hybrid attacks against European countries.
Positions on Aid to Ukraine
Last week, Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, the president of her nationalist party, issued a statement condemning actions by Russia to deflect criticism from political rivals on the center-right and center-left, who have always portrayed the party as an ally of Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. However, she reiterated on Thursday that if she wins next year's presidential election, she will stop financial aid to Ukraine.
She said: "We can train their soldiers and military command and provide them with military assistance. But we can no longer provide financial aid to Ukraine, and we regret this." However, she did not criticize a group called the "Alliance of the Willing," which has been formed under the leadership of France and the UK to ensure military presence in Ukraine after the war ends.
Regarding this alliance, she stated: "A potential peacekeeping force that is truly similar to UN peacekeepers seems entirely feasible to me. And if the Alliance of the Willing is one of the conditions for negotiating a ceasefire, then I certainly agree to progress on this proposal."
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