French National Rally condemns Russia for seizing Auchan and Nestlé assets

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Leaders of France’s far-right National Rally condemned Russia on Saturday in an unusual statement amid a rise in hybrid attacks and other provocations from Moscow.

“We will never tolerate a foreign power, in this case, Russia, seeking to dictate, directly or indirectly, the policy of our country through intimidation, threats, destabilization or psychological pressure,” party president Jordan Bardella and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said in a joint statement .

The remarks mention Russia’s seizure of assets belonging to several companies still operating in the country, including French retailer Auchan and Swiss food and beverage giant Nestlé.

The move, Bardella and Le Pen write, “is a hostile act against the interests of France and the nations of Europe” and “must be firmly condemned.”

But the statement also came after French President Emmanuel Macron chaired a rare crisis meeting Friday at which the country’s political leaders, including Bardella, were briefed on the threats posed by Russia’s war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.

Le Pen and Bardella also cited the August drone attack at Leipzig airport , which German authorities attributed to Russia. “No provocation, clandestine operation, or destabilization effort could lead France to facilitate Russia’s achievement of its war aims in Ukraine,” the far-right leaders write.

The statement marks a rare show of unity within a party that has been divided over whether to treat the Kremlin as the enemy . Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 exposed fault lines within the movement.

Le Pen has historically taken a warmer stance toward Russia; she has met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past and her party took a €9.4 million loan from a Czech-Russian bank with links to the Kremlin, which has been repaid since. Bardella, a member of the European Parliament, has been more eager to portray Russia as a threat to France and Europe.

Le Pen, who hopes to succeed Macron as president next year, is open to supplying military equipment to Ukraine but has ruled out providing additional financial assistance as Kyiv continues to fend off Russia’s ongoing assault.

“Firmness in the face of hostile actions and the pursuit of a diplomatic resolution to the war are not contradictory,” reads the statement.

The National Rally is expected to release its campaign platform before the end of the year, potentially clarifying its positions on Ukraine and Russia.