Europe 1 with AFP 3:49 p.m., April 5, 2022

Visiting Finistère on Tuesday, President-candidate Emmanuel Macron criticized, without naming her, his far-right rival Marine Le Pen, referring to presidential candidates who have distinguished themselves by their "complacency towards Vladimir Putin" and "funding from Russia".

President-candidate Emmanuel Macron, visiting Finistère, criticized Tuesday, without naming her, his far-right rival Marine Le Pen, referring to presidential candidates who have distinguished themselves by their "complacency vis-à-vis Vladimir Putin" and "funding from Russia".

"It's not in me that you have to look for complacency vis-à-vis Vladimir Putin, it's not in me that you have to seek funding from Russia, it's in "other candidates. We must not forget that", declared Emmanuel Macron questioned during a press briefing on his dialogue with the Russian president.

A dialogue maintained with Putin at the request of Zelensky

Emmanuel Macron was referring to Marine Le Pen (RN) received by the Russian president in 2017 and whose party continues to repay a loan of around nine million euros to a Russian creditor.

Other candidates like Éric Zemmour (Reconquête!) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) have been criticized for pro-Russian positions.

The Head of State has defended the maintenance of a dialogue with Vladimir Putin "since the beginning of the war, each time at the request of Volodymyr Zelensky (Ukrainian President, editor's note) because he considers that it is useful that a dialogue is maintained".

"As long as the Ukrainian president asks me to have a dialogue with Russia, as long as France can have this role of advancing the negotiations, obtaining things on the humanitarian level and preparing for peace, I will do it", explained Mr. Macron.

He said he had a telephone meeting at the end of the afternoon with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Emmanuel Macron defended himself from instrumentalizing the conflict in Ukraine for domestic political purposes when he was asked about a hypothetical trip to kyiv.

"I have never used this situation. Going to kyiv to make a visit after so many others... If it was a visit without result or usefulness I would not do it. If I can bring something and have a useful effect, I will do it whether it is before or after (the presidential election, editor's note).