Front National leader Marine Le Pen has met with Vladimir Putin and Russian lawmakers in Moscow. Russia has been cozying up to right-wing candidates and meddling in European and US elections.
French right-wing leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen in Moscow on Friday called for greater cooperation against terrorism and better relations with Russia.
“I am in favor of developing relations with Russia in the context of the long history that links our two countries,” Le Pen said at a meeting with Russia’s parliamentary speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin.
Referring to Russia’s role in Syria and France’s fight against Islamic extremists, she called on the two countries to work together to fight “terrorism.” She also urged an end to European Union sanctions on Russia over the crisis in the Ukraine.
The Front National leader was visiting Moscow at the invitation of Leonid Slutsky, head of the Duma’s foreign affairs committee. Le Pen has visited Russia several times.
She was then whisked off to the Kremin to meet President Vladimir Putin, whom she has said she admires.
“We by no means want to influence the current events, but we reserve the right to communicate with all representatives of all political forces of the country, as do our partners in Europe and the United States for example,” Interfax news agency quoted Putin as telling Le Pen.
Russia has been accused of meddling in European elections, including by promoting anti-EU populist movements and conducting disinformation campaigns.
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