French far-right party "National Rally" will support Ukraine in the war with Russia, but will make every effort to prevent the escalation of the conflict.
French far-right leader Jordan Bardella said on Wednesday, June 19, which supports Ukraine's right to protection from Russian aggression. But if he is elected prime minister, he will not provide Kyiv with long-range missiles for attacks on Russian territory.
He also assured that he would adhere to France's commitments to NATO if he headed the government.
Reuters writes about this.
Bardella's National Rally party is leading in opinion polls ahead of snap parliamentary elections on June 30 and July 7. This situation has raised questions about the consequences for French foreign policy if the far right gains enough seats in parliament to form a government.
“I want Ukraine to have the ammunition and equipment it needs to hold the front, but my red line will not change, namely sending equipment that could lead to escalation in Eastern Europe,” Bardella said to journalists at the international exhibition of ground, air defense and security Eurosatory as part of a pre-election trip.
The politician added that this is why he does not plan to send long-range missiles or other weapons to Kyiv that would allow Ukraine to strike at Russian territory.
“My position has not changed and will not change – we are talking about supporting Ukraine and avoiding all risks from Russia and escalation in the region. And I think that the risk of escalation is, of course, real,” Bardella emphasized.
Even if the National Rally leads the French government, Emmanuel Macron will remain president and head of the French army. But the constitution also gives the prime minister a defense role, with the division of power fuzzy.
Macron will lose control of the domestic agenda, including economic policy, security, immigration and finance. This will in turn affect other policy areas such as aid to Ukraine, since the President will need parliamentary support to fund any aid within France's annual budget.
Bardella also said that he would fulfill France's commitment to its NATO partners, in particular to increase defense spending.
“I do not plan to question the commitments made by France at the international level, since there is a stake in the trust in our European partners, as well as our NATO allies,” the politician said.
He added that he will continue the efforts of recent years to rearm the country, both in terms of its defense capabilities and increasing the military budget.
Recall that the far right in France removed pro-Russian statements from the party’s website. The deleted texts reflected the program of the 2022 presidential campaign of Marine Le Pen, who at the time led the National Rally party.
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