Le Pen: Trump’s Aid Freeze is ‘Cruel’ – A Turn From Her Former Kyiv Policy?

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has condemned US President Donald Trump‘s decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine, calling the move “very cruel” for Ukrainian soldiers fighting against Russia’s invasion, while stressing that the most critical elements of Washington’s help are in the form of intelligence, technical assistance, and cyber ops.

Speaking to Le Figaro, Le Pen, widely seen as the “natural” candidate for the Rassemblement National (RN) in France’s next presidential election, shifted her tone on Trump’s foreign policy.

“I consider the brutality of this decision to be condemnable. It is very cruel for the soldiers engaged in the patriotic defense of their country,” she said.

Le Pen, who has often advocated for a more independent European stance in global affairs, balanced her criticism by maintaining that “no one can force the United States to continue its support if it no longer wishes to.”

However, she argued that Washington should have allowed Ukraine “a reasonable timeframe to adapt.”

According to Le Pen, the immediate halt in arms shipments is not the most significant issue. “The stoppage of weapons deliveries is less problematic, as it can be compensated for, than the loss of US support in intelligence, technological assistance, and digital operations,” she said.

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Kyiv Faces Patriot Missile Shortages If US Halts Military Aid, PM Shmyhal Warns

Ukraine has modern air defense and mobile drone-hunting units, but without US support, maintaining and supplying Patriot missiles will be a major challenge, PM Shmyhal warned.

She also used the moment to criticize Europe’s dependence on the United States for defense and technology. “We are now seeing firsthand the consequences of Europe’s digital submission to the US,” she added.

Trump’s announcement on Monday evening to “temporarily” halt military support to Kyiv—immediately freezing weapons and ammunition deliveries, including those already ordered—has been met with shock across the Western world.

While Russia welcomed the move as “the best contribution to peace,” French politicians reacted with outrage. Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe denounced the decision as a “betrayal” during an interview with France Inter on Tuesday.

In early July 2024, Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, stated that if her party had won the parliamentary elections, her government would have barred Ukraine from using French long-range weapons to strike Russian territory.

Her position directly opposed that of President Emmanuel Macron, whose policy allows Ukraine to use French-supplied arms for such strikes as part of France’s military support.

Le Pen also reaffirmed that a National Rally-led government would not send French troops to Ukraine, arguing that France should avoid direct involvement in the war.

However, the second round of parliamentary elections ended in defeat for Le Pen’s party. The left-wing New Popular Front emerged as the winner, while Macron’s presidential coalition finished in second place. According to French media, none of the three main political blocs secured an absolute majority in parliament.