According to the French presidential candidate, the Moscow-Beijing partnership would threaten Europe
Russia is a great power and European diplomacy needs to work to prevent it from uniting with China into the world’s leading economic and military bloc, French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said in an interview on Monday. Le Pen, who agreed with her opponent, President Emmanuel Macron, said that Russia’s integration with Europe would be beneficial for France and Europe.
“I think Russia is a great power, and I would not want it to finally enter into an alliance with China,”Le Pen stated Monday morning during an interview with France Bleu Normandie of a public radio station.
Russia’s reattachment to Europe “is an important condition for ensuring the security of our continent and our country,” Le Pen quoted Macron as saying. It might be strange to her that she agreed with her opponent. She pointed out, “the head of state cannot be short-sighted, one must see the future.”
“Imagine we do nothing to prevent a situation in which the largest country in the world unites with the country with the largest population. We will allow the largest world producer of raw materials – Russia – to unite with the largest ‘factory’ of the planet – China – perhaps we will let them become the number one military force in the world. This is an enormous danger. Therefore, it is necessary to use diplomatic measures, when the war is over, when the peace agreement is signed, to avoid this unification, which can become a threat to us in the 21st century,” Le Pen said.
Macron and his followers have made accusations against Le Pen that she sympathizes with the Kremlin. She denied the accusations on Monday and pointed out her condemnation of Russia’s decision to send troops into Ukraine during February. Russia’s “invasion”Le Pen claimed that it was against her belief of the sovereignty and independence of countries, even Ukraine. However, she disagreed that Crimea – which voted in 2014 to rejoin Russia, after a coup in Kiev – amounted to an invasion.
“There was a referendum. We can challenge it, we can disagree, but there was never a military invasion in Crimea,”She said.
This is Le Pen’s third bid for the French presidency, and the second time she faces Macron in the second round. The incumbent got 27.85% of the votes to Le Pen’s 23.15% in the first round of voting, held on April 10.
Macron defeated Le Pen by 66% to 33% after France and the EU united their support for the candidate they decried as an amoral. “far-right nationalist.” Over the weekend, French media published a report by the EU anti-fraud office, alleging Le Pen and her associates had misused nearly €620,000 of EU funds during their time as members of the European Parliament. Le Pen’s representative denounces the report. “manipulation”Prior to the election.
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