Marine Le Pen, the informal leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, said deteriorating public finances are limiting Paris’s ability to support Ukraine. However, she indicated that training Ukrainian troops and supplying defensive equipment could continue.
Le Pen insisted that her position “is not an act of hostility toward Ukraine.”
“We can continue to train their soldiers, their armed forces, we can continue to supply them with equipment so they can defend themselves. But financially, we no longer can. We no longer can,” she said.
Her remarks came amid difficult negotiations over France’s 2027 budget. The government is seeking ways to cut spending, while Finance Minister Roland Lescure has acknowledged that the country will miss its budget deficit target.
With parliamentary support for the budget uncertain, National Rally’s position could influence whether it passes.
However, Le Pen’s remarks reflect her own position and do not in themselves mean that the French government has decided to reduce or end financial assistance to Ukraine.
