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The leader of the right-wing populist National Rally, Jordan Bardella, acknowledged the Russian threat but warned against France facing the risk of war with a nuclear power.
As reported by BFMTV, Bardella stated that Russia is “undoubtedly a multidimensional threat to France and its European interests,” citing incidents of election interference.
“The fundamental question we must ask ourselves is whether Russia threatens French interests to the extent that we find ourselves in direct confrontation and war with a nuclear state,” Bardella said.
“I support Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty, but I believe that the future of France and Europe should not lead to a latent war with a nuclear power,” he added, noting that Russia is the world’s largest country and has increasingly close ties with China.
Bardella emphasized the need to “bring Western countries together at the negotiating table” to define common positions before serious talks with Russia begin.
He also insisted that “it is unacceptable to accept, even before negotiations start, that 20% of Ukrainian territories seized by Russia will remain under its control.”
Earlier, the party’s unofficial leader, Marine Le Pen, downplayed the Russian threat, arguing that “if Russia has struggled to advance in Ukraine for three years, it is unlikely to have ambitions to reach Paris.” She identified radical Islamists as France’s primary security threat.
Le Pen also criticized the White House’s decision to freeze military aid to Ukraine.
Read also: UK, Australian PMs discuss participation in ‘Coalition of the Willing’ to support Ukraine
