Marine Le Pen says she would maintain aid for Ukraine for six months, then halt it if elected president of France

Emese Grancsa

15 October 2026, 11:25

International

Credit foto: shutterstock.com

Always see our news on Google

Marine Le Pen announced on Wednesday that, if elected president of France in 2027, she would maintain financial aid to Ukraine for six months, after which she would halt it. She made the statement to Flemish broadcaster VRT News in Brussels, on the sidelines of a meeting with the European allies of the Patriots grouping.

The leader of the Rassemblement National party explained that the measure would be intended to avoid “backing anyone into a corner” immediately after her election. After the transition period, however, France would no longer have, in her view, the resources needed to provide financial support to Kyiv.

Le Pen claimed that France is “on the verge of defaulting” on its public debt and rejected accusations that she would betray Ukraine. She said that other European Union member states in a better financial position could take over support for Kyiv, without specifying which countries they were.

The position marks a shift from the candidate’s recent statements, in which she had announced her intention to halt financial aid immediately after taking office. Polls indicate that she is the favorite for France’s presidential election in spring 2027.

Le Pen and Jordan Bardella have previously rejected accusations of being close to Vladimir Putin. RN previously took out a €9.4 million loan from a Moscow bank, which was repaid in 2023. Marine Le Pen met Putin in Moscow in 2017 but later condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, launched in 2022.

Context: Marine Le Pen has already qualified her position on Ukraine and nuanced her relationship with Russia, while RN prepares its agenda for 2027

Before the announcement regarding aid for Ukraine, Marine Le Pen stated that, if she won the presidential election, she would stop the financial support provided to Kyiv, citing difficulties related to public finances. However, she argued that France could continue to train Ukrainian military personnel and provide defensive equipment, maintaining that it could no longer support additional financial contributions.

The position came in a political context in which Rassemblement National leaders rejected accusations of closeness to Russia and condemned the pressure and actions attributed to Moscow against France and Europe. At the same time, Le Pen also nuanced other security issues, saying that she intended to withdraw France from NATO's integrated command, but only as long as the war in Ukraine continued.

In parallel, discussions about France's direction within the EU were linked to the possibility of a Le Pen victory, including through scenarios concerning the budget and common policies. In this context, RN was presented as an actor that could modify the way support for Ukraine is provided and could condition aid, while the party was described as wavering in its approach to Russia, depending on political developments and electoral costs.