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.
