Le Pen tells FT she would cut EU budget and end French aid to Kyiv if elected
In an interview with the Financial Times, Marine Le Pen said that if she wins France's 2027 presidential election she would sharply reduce the EU budget and Brussels' powers, withhold French support for EU funding for Ukraine, and halt bilateral French aid to Kyiv outside limited military training and operational support. She also confirmed her opposition to Ukraine's EU membership and called for a "great peace conference" to reach a diplomatic settlement of the war. Le Pen currently leads French presidential polls by a significant margin.
Key points
- Le Pen said she would sharply cut the EU budget and Brussels' powers if elected.
- She pledged to halt bilateral French aid to Kyiv except for certain operational support and training of Ukrainian soldiers.
- She said Paris would not support EU funding for Ukraine if it leaves France with the bill.
- Le Pen cited 90 billion euros in EU loans already provided to Ukraine, of which she put France's share at 18 billion euros.
- The draft seven-year EU budget contains a dedicated Ukraine funding mechanism of up to 100 billion euros, which she wants to derail by withholding half of France's contribution.
- She confirmed her opposition to Ukraine's EU membership, calling it equivalent to "harakiri" that would cause "absolutely colossal economic losses" for France.
- Le Pen leads French presidential polls ahead of the 2027 election by a significant margin over her competitors.
Why it matters
Le Pen leads the French presidential race ahead of the 2027 vote, so her stated positions could translate into a French presidency that actively works to shrink the EU's budget, its powers, and its support for Ukraine. Her threat to withhold half of France's EU contribution would directly target the draft seven-year EU budget, which contains a dedicated Ukraine funding mechanism of up to 100 billion euros. She also frames continued EU support as a one-sided financial burden on France, citing an 18 billion euro French share of 90 billion euros in EU loans already extended.
What happened
In an interview with the Financial Times, Marine Le Pen laid out a platform that, if she wins the 2027 French presidential election, would reshape both France's and the EU's stance on Ukraine. She said she would push for a sharp reduction in the EU budget and in Brussels' powers, and would withhold French support for any EU funding for Ukraine that she argued leaves France bearing the bill. She also pledged to end bilateral French aid to Kyiv, keeping only certain operational support and the training of Ukrainian soldiers, and cited a deteriorating French financial situation as the reason France can no longer sustain the current level of assistance. To justify her position, Le Pen pointed to 90 billion euros in EU loans already provided to Ukraine, of which she said 18 billion euros is France's share, and she said she is prepared to derail any budget deal by withholding half of France's contribution — a direct challenge to the draft seven-year EU budget's dedicated Ukraine funding mechanism of up to 100 billion euros. Beyond funding, she confirmed her firm opposition to Ukraine's EU membership, describing it as equivalent to "harakiri" and warning of "absolutely colossal economic losses" for France and harm to French agriculture. As an alternative to continued military and financial support, she advocated a "major peace conference" aimed at a "diplomatic settlement" of Russia's war against Ukraine.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The three supplied sources — Yevropeiska Pravda, Ukrainska Pravda and Suspilne Novyny — are Ukrainian-language outlets that relay the Financial Times interview and foreground Le Pen's opposition to EU funding for Ukraine and the alternative she proposes, framing her statements as a direct threat to Ukraine's European financial and political support.
Background
Le Pen has previously said that after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion she supported French financial and military assistance to Kyiv and condemned Russian aggression, while also arguing that France can no longer sustain the current level of aid because of its own financial situation. Her party once received a loan from a Russian bank, a fact reported in the context of her broader stance on Russia and Ukraine. She opposes Ukraine joining the EU, calling it "harakiri" and warning of "absolutely colossal economic losses" for France and damage to French agriculture, and she advocates a "great peace conference" to achieve a "diplomatic settlement" of the war.