**Official trips and meetings with Russian authorities**

– Multiple trips to Moscow: Marine Le Pen has traveled to Russia at least four times since 2013, each time receiving an official welcome from the Russian regime.

– Meetings with senior officials:

– In June 2013, she visited the Duma (Russian parliament) and met with Sergei Naryshkin (Speaker of the Duma, former KGB/FSB) and Alexei Pushkov (Chairman of the International Affairs Committee).

– In April 2014, shortly after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, she returned to Moscow and renewed her support for Naryshkin, who was then under European and American sanctions.

– Meeting with Vladimir Putin: In March 2017, one month before the French presidential election, Marine Le Pen was officially received at the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin. This meeting was widely covered by both Russian and international media.

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**2. Public statements favorable to Russia**

– Support for the annexation of Crimea: As early as 2014, Marine Le Pen described the annexation referendum in Crimea as “beyond dispute,” echoing the Kremlin’s position against that of the international community.

– Criticism of European sanctions: She has regularly opposed European sanctions against Russia, claiming they harm the French and European economies more than Russia itself.

– Ideological proximity: She declared that she felt “more in tune with Russia’s model of patriotic economy than with that of the European Union.”

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**3. Financial relations with Russia**

– Controversial 2014 loan: In September 2014, the National Front (later renamed National Rally) contracted a €9.4 million loan from the First Czech-Russian Bank, a Russian bank close to the authorities. This loan, long unpaid, was at the center of numerous controversies and parliamentary inquiries.

– Russian creditors: After the initial bank went bankrupt, the debt was taken over by a Russian company linked to the aerospace sector, a strategic industry in Russia.

– Parliamentary inquiry: In May 2023, Marine Le Pen was questioned for four hours at the National Assembly regarding this loan and her ties to Russia. She denied having rendered any political services in exchange, but the issue of financial independence remains unresolved.

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**4. Positions on the war in Ukraine**

– Ambiguity after the 2022 invasion: Following the invasion of Ukraine, Marine Le Pen partially adjusted her discourse, condemning the war but refusing to label Vladimir Putin a “war criminal,” arguing that “peace cannot be negotiated by insulting one of the two parties.”

– Opposition to the energy embargo: She opposed the embargo on Russian gas and oil, citing the need to protect French purchasing power.

– Refusal to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine: She stated she was willing to provide non-lethal defensive equipment but refused any delivery of heavy weapons that would make France a “co-belligerent.”

– Call for strategic rapprochement with Russia: She proposed a “strategic rapprochement” between NATO and Russia once the war is over.

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**5. Adoption of Russian propaganda and political influence**

– Repetition of Kremlin talking points: According to an investigation by *The Washington Post*, the National Rally and Marine Le Pen play a key role in Russia’s strategy to destabilize Europe, relaying Kremlin propaganda and undermining support for Ukraine.

– Disinformation networks: The party has been accused of collaborating with social media networks and Russian “troll farms” to influence public opinion.

– [Le Monde – Les voyages et rencontres de Marine Le Pen en Russie](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/les-decodeurs/article/2022/04/21/what-are-marine-le-pen-s-ties-to-vladimir-putin-s-russia_5981192_8.html)

– [Euronews – Positions de Marine Le Pen sur la Russie et l’Ukraine](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/04/18/french-election-what-exactly-is-marine-le-pen-s-stance-on-russia-and-vladimir-putin)

– [Le Monde – Enquête parlementaire sur les liens financiers avec la Russie](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2023/05/25/le-pen-questioned-for-four-hours-about-russia-ties-by-parliament-inquiry_6027979_5.html)

– [L’Express – Enquête du Washington Post sur l’influence russe et le RN](https://www.lexpress.fr/politique/liens-du-rn-avec-la-russie-ce-que-revele-lenquete-du-washington-post-CBJ6XDHL3RGCZIHSZ3TWC22IZQ/)

– [Atlantic Council – Rencontre officielle Le Pen/Poutine](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/why-putin-s-flirtation-with-the-french-far-right-may-backfire/)

The facts demonstrate that Marine Le Pen has maintained close political, financial, and ideological ties with Russia and its leaders, notably Vladimir Putin. These ties are evidenced by official trips, public statements, a Russian bank loan, and the adoption of Kremlin talking points in French public debate. These elements are documented through journalistic and parliamentary investigations.

Paul Manandise,

Head of department of international influence and culture,

International analytical Сenter of the National Security of Ukraine

#ПольМанандіз #PaulМanandise