Marine Le Pen faces criticism over Ukraine aid stance as center-right rivals accuse National Rally of aiding Russia

PARIS — Marine Le Pen is facing a fight over military aid to Ukraine after two leading center-right rivals accused her party of playing into Russia’s hands.

The dispute underlines the lack of clarity around the far-right National Rally's views on Ukraine and Russia, something that its opponents hope to exploit to undermine the party's credibility ahead of next year's crucial presidential election.

On Friday, center-right candidates and former Prime Ministers Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal slammed comments made by Louis Aliot, a National Rally vice president, who hinted on Thursday that France would limit military assistance to Kyiv if his boss Le Pen wins next year.

"We turn off the tap," Aliot said of aid to Ukraine in a television interview, pointing to France's fiscal overstretch and problems in financing areas like health and education. He stressed his party's strong support for Ukraine and condemned Russia for its invasion, but underlined: "Who pays for the war?"

Philippe and Attal — fighting to become the main center-right presidential candidate — both fired back.

"Cutting off aid to Ukraine means playing into Russia’s hands," Philippe posted on X. "The National Rally has changed its position on just about everything, except for its support of Putin’s regime — a stance that runs counter to French and European interests."

"You’ve just heard the 'foreign-backed' party speak ... The National Rally is once again demonstrating its subservience to Russia," echoed Attal.

Le Pen, who's currently leading in opinion polls, responded: "Since Russia's aggression against Ukraine, I have been demanding that France urgently convene a major conference for peace in order to contribute, not to the prolongation of a bloodbath, but to a diplomatic resolution of this abominable war."

However, she didn't repeat Aliot's comments on France's inability to continuing to provide military aid to Ukraine.

POLITICO has previously reported that the far-right party is internally divided over Russia, Ukraine and NATO.

Jordan Bardella, the National Rally president and a member of the European Parliament, leads the more pro-European wing of the party. Le Pen's own views have been more pro-Russia; she has met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past and her party took a €9.4 million loan from a Czech-Russian bank with links to the Kremlin, since repaid.

Bardella and Le Pen also differ on NATO, although both would break with French President Emmanuel Macron's strong support for the alliance. Bardella wants to wait for the Ukraine war to end to pull France out of NATO's integrated command, while Le Pen pledged to do so in the next five years regardless of what's happening in the conflict.

The National Rally will release its campaign platform before the end of the year, potentially clarifying its positions on Ukraine and Russia.

The spat among Philippe, Attal and Le Pen also shows that center-right parties are trying to paint the National Rally as Putin allies in a bid to damage her electoral prospects.

"Did you think the [National Rally] had changed its stance on Ukraine? You were naive. The masks are coming off, and Marine Le Pen’s support for Vladimir Putin remains what it has always been: unwavering," said MEP Nathalie Loiseau, a Philippe ally.

Sarah Paillou contributed to this report.