French foreign minister accuses Le Pen, Melenchon of echoing Putin’s rhetoric on Ukraine

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Sunday accused Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Melenchon of “systematically” aligning their positions on the war in Ukraine with those of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“For a long time, Jean-Luc Melenchon and Marine Le Pen have chosen their side. And their side is not Ukraine’s,” Barrot said on political program Franc-jeu, broadcast on France 2, France Inter and france.tv.

“They systematically choose to go along with Vladimir Putin and recite his rhetoric,” he said, accusing them of “complacency” toward the Russian president and “distrust” of the European Union.

At a Sept. 23 news conference on his presidential campaign, Melenchon suggested Europe should “perhaps ask” whether an intensification of the Russian threat was linked to Ukraine’s long-range strikes. He also said that “Russia is the invader of Ukraine.”

Barrot accused the founder of the left-wing France Unbowed party of reversing the facts and rewriting the history of the war.

“Ukrainian resistance is a struggle for independence, for freedom,” he said, drawing a parallel with the French Resistance during the German occupation.

“Should we have held back our blows? Should the Free French Forces and the internal Resistance have shown restraint in defending our country’s territorial integrity?” he asked.

Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, questioned continued French financial support for Kyiv during a debate hosted by Politico.

“We can continue to train their soldiers, we can train their military leadership, and we can provide material assistance, particularly military equipment. We can no longer provide financial assistance to Ukraine,” she said.

“Jean-Luc Melenchon took off the gloves to hit the Ukrainians in the face. Marine Le Pen kept hers on, but fundamentally, it is the same message,” Barrot said.