France’s 53-year-old presidential conservative candidate Marine Le Pen warned France about supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine, encouraging the warring factions to spend their resources in Istanbul at the peace table. Le Pen doesn’t back Russia’s war against Ukraine but also doesn’t want the United States stirring the pot in Europe, supplying Ukraine with over $16 billion and unlimited lethal weapons. Le Pen promises the French public if she beats 44-year-old French President Emmanuel Macron in the April 24 runoff, she will pull France out of NATO’s military command and scale back French support for the European Union [EU]. French voters have never had a more stark choice between the socialist Macron and nationalist Le Pen, seeking to put France back in its own driver’s seat. France has been a dutiful member of the EU and NATO, at times ignoring its own interests.
Brussels and the U.S. are in a tizzy over Le Pen’s strong performance in the April 10 first round presidential election. Macron was supposed to beat Le Pen by a wide margin, not 24% Macron to 23% Le Pen. White House officials fear that a Le Pen victory could weaken the trans-Atlantic alliance, especially the war against the Russian Federation. Brussels has grave concerns that if Le Pen takes over France, it would weaken France’s knee-jerk acceptance by Macron of Brussels’ policies, especially on immigration and the economy. France, like the U.S. and other EU countries are in an inflationary spiral where French consumers feel the squeeze on energy and everything else. Le Pen has no problem helping Ukraine with defense and intel but would be reluctant to supply lethal offensive and defensive weapons. Le Pen wants both parties back to the peace table.
Le Pen knows that Macron’s government has sent Kiev $100 million euros or U.S. $109 million worth of weapons. “[But] I’m more reserved about direct arms deliveries. Why? Because . . . the line is thin between aid and becoming a co-belligerent,” Le Pen said. Le Pen is often referred to pejoratively in the U.S. and EU press as the “far-right” candidate, implying that she’s a Fascist. But if you really listen to her statements, she’s anti-war, not willing to fuel the Ukraine War on both sides, letting it escalate into another world war on the European continent. Le Pen expressed concern about “an escalation of the conflict that could bring a whole number of countries into a military commitment,” showing the kind of restraint that’s missing in the White House. Biden thinks it’s OK to spend over $16 billion supplying Ukraine with unlimited lethal arms to battle the Russian Federation.
Macron certainly did his peace-making part meeting at least twice with Putin before the Feb. 24 conflict began. Macron tired but failed to stop Putin from invading Ukraine, largely because Biden continues supplying lethal arms to Ukraine against Putin’s objections, for months before the Feb. 24 invasion. Biden insists, as Le Pen knows, that he did not provoke the war but clearly he supplied Ukraine lethal arms over the Kremlin’s objections. Le Pen would strongly encourage peacemaking over war-making, letting Ukraine go to the peace table trying to work out differences with the Russian Federation. Le Pen wants France to strike a balance between the EU and U.S., and its own foreign policy and economic interests. France under Macron is 100% backing Brussels. France supports EU sanctions against Moscow but doesn’t agree with all the economic sanctions against Moscow.
Le Pen wants a “strategic rapprochement” with Russia after the war ends, seeking to do business with Moscow where it benefits France. French voters must decide whether they want an independent France under Le Pen, or one of a rubber stamp of EU policies. “In the interest of France and Europe and I think even the United States,” Le Pen wants Russia to have strong economic ties to France and the EU to prevent the need for a Russian-Chinese alliance. When you look at Biden’s foreign policy, it accomplishes exactly the opposite. Biden has done everything since taking office to alienate Russia and China, now living with the consequences of poor U.S. relations with both superpowers. Le Pen would like to build bridges with Russia and China to help benefit the French economy, now reeling from inflation. Biden has wrecked U.S.-Russia and U.S.-Chinese relations for the foreseeable future.
Le Pen is called the “far-right” candidate because Macron hopes to influence enough French voters by April 24 to continue the status quo. Le Pen bashed Macron for losing the submarine contract with Australia, handing the U.S. billions in defense contracts for nuclear powered submarines. Blaming Le Pen for her anti-immigrant stance, Macron portrays Le Pen as the enemy of France’s immigrant population. Le Pen wants African countries to stop the flow of migrants and refugees into France, Le Pen shows no strong commitment to climate change or, switching the French economy to renewable energy, something more of a myth than reality. Painting Le Pen as anti-immigrant, anti-EU and anti-NATO, Macron hopes to frighten voters into voting for the traditional socialist candidate. Brussels and Washington think Le Pen could break unconditional support for Ukraine.
