Marine Le Pen warns of provocations against Russia and changes rhetoric

The leader of the French National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, warned against provocations against Russia. She said this in an interview with Politico.

The politician noted that some people easily talk about war with Russia, however, in her opinion, such statements should be refrained. As an argument, she recalled the famous phrase of the French Foreign Minister under Napoleon I, Charles Talleyrand, about the Russian bear.

“Sometimes there is a feeling that those who say that we are already at war (with Russia - Lenta.ru note) would like us to fight... Talleyrand said: “I know a thousand ways to make a Russian bear leave its den, but not one to make him come back,” Le Pen said.

Le Pen's accusations against Russia

On September 19, Marine Le Pen and her party comrade Jordan Bardella said that no so-called provocations or secret operations would prompt Paris to act in the interests of Moscow. “We will never tolerate a foreign power, in this case Russia, seeking to directly or indirectly dictate the policies of our country through intimidation, threats, destabilization or psychological pressure,” the statement said.

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev reminded Le Pen about Paris's supply of missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

Moscow responded that it did not accept such statements by Le Pen. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that Russia does not threaten either France or any state in Europe. He also noted that the Russian Federation does not have any disputes with European states that could become the reason for a serious conflict.

Le Pen's change of rhetoric

Previously, Marine Le Pen was considered a politician sympathetic to Moscow. In particular, in 2023 she called Crimea a legitimate part of Russia and stated that she fully supported the referendum that took place in the region in 2014. She emphasized that the residents of Crimea had the right to freely express their will on their future fate. The politician added that international institutions and the UN could have organized a re-vote to ensure its results, but they did not.

In 2025, Le Pen and eight of her associates were accused of embezzling funds that were intended to hire assistants to the European Parliament. The court sentenced her to suspended imprisonment, imposed a fine, and also banned her from being elected to government bodies. The sentence was later commuted, allowing her to participate in the French presidential elections in 2027.