Marine Le Pen in an interview with an Italian writer Corriere della Sera, Le Pen accused Macron and his European allies that alternatively of seeking peace in Ukraine, their actions could lead to an escalation of conflict. Her words echoed widely, especially in the context of planned peace talks in Istanbul, in which Ukrainian and Russian presidents and US president Donald Trump are to attend.
Le Pen criticized Macro for his participation in a delegation of European leaders who visited Kiev to meet president Volodymyr Zelenski. According to her, alternatively of supporting peace initiatives, specified actions can be seen as “dressing as warriors”, which can yet “saturate war”. Instead, Le Pen suggests that France should focus on the function of mediator, promoting dialog and agreement between the parties to the conflict.
In the context of forthcoming peace talks in Istanbul, Le Pen expressed greater assurance in Donald Trump's approach than in Macron's actions. She stressed that Trump “really takes into account the goal [room]”, which distinguishes him from the French president. Her position was besides supported by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who wrote on platform X: “While others in Paris or Brussels talk only about weapons and war, Donald Trump works for peace”.
Macron, who initially called for peace talks after the Russian invasion in 2022, now took a tougher position. During his visit to Kiev, together with the Prime Minister of large Britain, the Chancellor of Germany and the Prime Minister of Poland, he called for a 30-day ceasefire as a precondition for beginning negotiations with Russia. However, Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine should engage in talks regardless of whether Russia would agree to a ceasefire, arguing that “at least they would be able to find whether an agreement was possible”.
Le Pen besides criticised the European Union for utilizing the crisis in Ukraine to advance the integration of defence policies, which she felt was at the expense of the sovereignty of the associate States. She stressed that Brussels “in an absolutely cynical way” was utilizing the situation to push forward common arms policies.
In the face of increasing tensions and the forthcoming peace talks in Istanbul, Le Pen's position sheds light on the interior divisions in Europe regarding the strategy towards the conflict in Ukraine. Her criticism of Macron and support for Trump's approach can influence France's future political decisions and its function in global efforts to end the war.
