"The Vladimir Putin of 5 years ago is not exactly that of today", declared on BFMTV the candidate of the National Rally, who had been received by the Russian president during the previous presidential campaign in March 2017. , and which continues to repay a loan of 9 million euros to Russian creditors.
Marine Le Pen assured that "currently, no", she would not make this trip to Moscow again.
In Ukraine, the Russian president "crossed the red line, it is unacceptable and without any ambiguity", he "attacked Ukraine, he violated its sovereignty" and "its borders", she denounced.
She felt that Vladimir Putin had "remade Russia a power that counts" but that "if he uses this power badly", she could "not () admit".
However, she said she does not "believe" that economic sanctions are the only possible weapon to stop Mr. Putin, and expressed her "fear" that these sanctions "will have the consequence of punishing the French people" and " to weaken" the country, while the sanctions of 2014 after the annexation of Crimea by Moscow, "did not work".
She judged "irresponsible" the remarks of the Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday on FranceInfo who had promised to wage an "economic war" on Russia - he then judged "inappropriate" the use of the term "war ".
"We should not, without wanting it, (...) that we are considered by these declarations as co-belligerents", estimated Ms. Le Pen.
While the keyword "MarinePoutin" circulates on social networks and a photo of her alongside the Russian president appears on her campaign leaflets, Marine Le Pen assured that "no" she did not regret this photo, "because we are not going to make Russia disappear".
Russia "will remain a powerful country, which is still a European country. So we will have to deal with it", and it is "a great power like the United States or like China" which, depending on the moment, can be " allies, competitors or adversaries," she explained.
Stating that Vladimir Putin was today "an adversary", she specified that she would be, if elected, "under the obligation to have relations" with the Russian president and "to try to be this particular voice" by being neither "the spokesperson for NATO" nor that of the European Union.
© 2022 AFP