French far-right supporters of the Le Pen party are increasingly favoring Ukraine over Russia, according to Le Monde.

The French newspaper Le Monde published an article discussing how Jordan Bardella, the new leader of the French far-right party "National Rally" (RN) and ally of Marine Le Pen, has largely distanced himself from her "Russophile" views on Russia and the reasons behind Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Le Pen has previously spoken about the legitimacy of Russia's annexation of Crimea and has not renounced this position; she traveled to Moscow and took out a loan from the Russian-Czech bank. She claimed to have approached various banks, but this was the first to approve her party's loan.

In contrast, Bardella expresses views in his book Ce que je cherche ("What I Am Looking For"), released in November, regarding the Russian war against Ukraine that closely align with those of centrist Western parties.

He writes that the initially hybrid war was initiated by Vladimir Putin in 2014.

"I do not believe that NATO or the West pushed Putin or that he had no other choice, as some claim," he notes.

Any peace agreement is used by Putin to prepare for new aggression. He even asserts that Le Pen lost the 2022 presidential election because French voters sensed her "weakness towards Putin's expansionism."

Since the summer of 2024, Bardella has seized every opportunity to showcase his contacts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Le Monde.

"Refraining from commenting on the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO, Bardella emphasizes that Europeans should be able to offer Kyiv security guarantees through a bilateral agreement, and that Ukraine is now 'anchored in Europe, and its identity is affirmed,'" the publication states.

He has tasked the leader of the RN youth wing, Pierre-Romain Thionne, with overseeing the party's shift in stance regarding Russia's war against Ukraine.

Thionne has traveled to Kyiv multiple times and supports the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine and increasing French military presence in Europe.

"Pierre-Romain Thionne embodies this young generation of far-right individuals who prefer Ukrainian resistance over Putin's imperialism," Le Monde writes.

He describes his position as "Gaullist," referencing Charles de Gaulle, who, despite public disagreements with other Western leaders, steadfastly supported them in their conflict with the USSR (such as during the Cuban Missile Crisis).

Le Monde notes that the RN's position has so far changed mostly in rhetoric: its representatives in the European Parliament still vote against pro-Ukrainian resolutions.

In the new parliament, Le Pen's party members voted against resolutions to assist Ukraine three times and abstained twice.

The party still has a significant number of pro-Russian politicians who freely express sentiments of love for Russia and support for Putin.

Background. It is worth recalling that an investigation revealed connections between party leader Le Pen and Russian oligarch Malofeev. Additionally, in September 2022, Jordan Bardella stated that historically Crimea is Russian.

Meanwhile, a trial against Marine Le Pen and other members of her party has begun in France, where they are accused of embezzling funds from the European Parliament.