French far-right leader Bardella vows Ukraine will not be absorbed by 'Russian imperialism'
French far-right leader Bardella vows Ukraine will not be absorbed by 'Russian imperialism'
During a televised debate Thursday evening with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Socialist leader Olivier Faure, Jordan Bardella, president of the French far-right National Rally party, vowed that his party would not allow Russia to "absorb" Ukraine if it comes to power after snap legislative elections starting Sunday, June 30.
"I will not let Russian imperialism absorb an allied state like Ukraine," Bardella said in a televised debate, pledging both "support for Ukraine and avoiding an escalation with Russia".
His comments in the debate with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Socialist leader Olivier Faure came after three time RN presidential candidate Marine Le Pen sparked a furore by casting doubt on the capacity of President Emmanuel Macron to be commander-in-chief of the armed forces if the RN won.
Referring to Macron's controversial refusal to rule out sending French soldiers to Ukraine, Bardella said: "If I am prime minister tomorrow, French soldiers will not be sent to Ukraine."
"There are many European countries that do not want their soldiers sent to Ukrainian territory," he said, evoking the risk of "co-belligerence" in the conflict.
He said he was also opposed to sending longer range missiles to Ukraine that could hit Russian territory "and place France and the French in a situation of co-belligerence".
"My compass is the interest of France and the French," said Bardella.
Attal, for his part, said that Le Pen had sent a "clear message" by indicating that if the RN wins the election "there will be a kind of dispute between the prime minister and president over who is commander-in-chief of the army".
"It is a very serious message for the security of France," he said.
Le Pen told the regional Telegramme daily that the president's title as commander-in-chief of the armed forces was "honorific, because it's the prime minister who holds the purse strings".
Attal meanwhile added: "If we start to set red lines we are not helping Ukrainians".
(AFP)