Le Pen Rules Out Ukraine Funding as Russia Targets French Election

French far-right presidential front-runner Marine Le Pen said France can no longer provide Ukraine with financial assistance. She also rejected claims that France is at war with Russia, while European goverments brace for a possible increase in Russian hybrid attacks on NATO territory. Speaking to Politico at its Playbook Paris Live summit on Thursday, the National Rally leader repeated her pledge to stop financial help to Kyiv if she wins next spring’s election.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. However, “we can train their [Ukraine’s] soldiers and their military leadership, and provide them with military aid,” she said. Denying claims that France is at war with Russia while EU braces for a possible attack Le Pen dismissed the claims that France is already in a conflict with Moscow. “Those who say that we are already at war give us the impression that they would like us to be at war,” she said, despite warnings from EU officials and analysts that the line between Russia’s frequent hybrid attacks and direct conflict is becoming increasingly blurred. In the past several months, Russia’s campaign of drone incursions, sabotage and cyberattacks against EU infrastructure has nearly doubled, to the point that several EU members, including Poland, now describe it as direct attacks instead of isolated incidents. On Sept. 19, Le Pen and her party’s President Jordan Bardella themselves acknowledged, in a joint statement, that hostile acts committed in Europe by agents working for Russia had intensified. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine’s Draft 2027 State Budget Envisages UAH 1.67 Trillion Deficit, KSE Institute Says Ukraine’s Draft State Budget 2027 envisages a UAH 1.67 trillion deficit and UAH 3.76 trillion in Ministry of Defence spending, KSE Institute’s analysis shows. In the statement, government measures to protect strategic infrastructure are also included. Politico described it as an effort to fend off opponents who portray the party as an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking to Politico, Le Pen also said she wants France to leave NATO’s integrated command, but not while the war continues. “As long as there is a war on Europe’s doorstep, that is not the time to take action in that regard, but, of course, my will to do so remains,” she said. Russian networks target Le Pen’s rivals Her remarks come as Russian disinformation campaigns target possible contenders in the April 2027 elections, according to an analysis by Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications. The targets include former Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal and EU Parliament member Raphaël Glucksmann. The campaign used deepfakes, fabricated media reports and false claims about politicians’ alleged corruption and health problems. According to the Ukrainian analysis, pro-Kremlin narratives also suggest a future French president should leave NATO and restore relations with Russia. The European External Action Service’s fourth threat report, published in March 2026, found that France has become the second-most targeted country of Russian foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) – behind only Ukraine. Europe braces for escalation Meanwhile, EU leaders increasingly prepare for Moscow’s possible turn on NATO. Late August, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced trip to Moscow, reportedly to warn Putin against attacking a NATO member and ending the war in Ukraine. Speaking during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Putin could target another EU country with drones, missiles or even a ground operation as Moscow seeks to fracture Western unity and weaken support for Ukraine. He echoed previous concerns of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk who said there was a “real risk” that drones or other missiles could enter the territory of one or several NATO countries on the alliance’s eastern flank, warning Moscow could portray such attacks as accidental. Separately on Wednesday, 51 countries backed Ukraine in a joint statement, urging Russia to accept a full ceasefire and enter meaningful negotiations. On Thursday, a Russian drone entered Romanian airspace and crashed in a forest in Suceava County after NATO jets failed to intercept it, while Moldovan President Maia Sandu said four Russian drones had violated Moldova’s airspace, with at least one exploding in the north of the country. During Zelensky’s visit to Chișinău for Moldova’s Independence Day on Aug. 27, Sandu said five drones entered Moldovan airspace hours before the celebrations, framing them as “intimidation.” Based on the pattern of their flight paths, Russia might be deliberately sending drones into the country’s airspace, she said on Aug. 17. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.