How France’s presidential election could impact Ukraine war
Associated PressPARIS — The capital of France may be thousands of miles away from the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, but what happens in French voting stations this month could have repercussions there. Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has close ties to Russia and wants to weaken the European Union and NATO, which could undercut Western efforts to stop Russia’s war on Ukraine. Here are some of the ways the French election could impact the war in Ukraine: ARMING UKRAINE Macron’s government has sent 100 million euros worth of weaponry to Ukraine in recent weeks and said Wednesday it will send more as part of a Western military aid effort. SOFTENING SANCTIONS Le Pen’s campaign has successfully tapped into French voter frustration over rising inflation, which has worsened as a consequence of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine and the ensuing Western sanctions against Russia, a major gas supplier and trade partner for France and Europe. If she became France’s president, Le Pen could try to thwart or limit additional EU sanctions since further action requires unananimous backing from the bloc’s 27 member nations.