Putin complimented Le Pen at a conference with Macron
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not make excuses for meeting Marine Le Pen during the election campaign in France.
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“This was not the first time she came to Moscow. She regularly comes to Moscow. I do not believe that her views regarding the identity of European peoples and strengthening the sovereignty of European countries are without any basis and are meaningless. My position may not coincide with the opinion of my colleagues, but I have always expressed it openly,” Putin said today at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Versailles.
He stressed that Russia will always support those European politicians who advocate strengthening relations.
“We are ready to accept any person at all – always. If Mrs. Le Pen asked us for a meeting, why should we refuse her? Moreover - and this is the most important thing for us - she has always publicly taken a position in favor of developing relations with our country. It would be strange for our country to push away those political figures in Europe who want to develop multifaceted cooperation with Russia,” Putin said.
However, he rejected accusations that Russia tried to influence the course of elections in France.
“But this does not mean that we tried to influence the elections. Yes, this is impossible, but we were aware of the realities of political life in France. Do you think we didn’t know the public opinion polls, didn’t understand what was happening?” – Putin said.
Putin complimented Le Pen at a conference with Macron.