---
title: "France Has Much to Lose: Zelenskyy Responds to Le Pen's Promise to Stop Funding Ukraine"
description: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy answered Marine Le Pen's promise to halt funding for Kyiv, emphasizing the benefits of support for France itself."
date: 2026-10-15T06:03:39.381Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/france-has-much-to-lose-zelenskyy-responds-to-le-pen
tags: [zelenskyy, le-pen, ukraine-war, france, financial-times]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# France Has Much to Lose: Zelenskyy Responds to Le Pen's Promise to Stop Funding Ukraine

## Key Points

- Marine Le Pen promised to end direct aid to Ukraine if elected president of France.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that France itself has much to lose if cooperation is halted.
- The Ukrainian leader highlighted the importance of Ukrainian military expertise for French defense companies.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given an extensive interview to the authoritative British publication Financial Times, in which he commented on the political prospects in European countries and potential threats to Kyiv. In particular, the Ukrainian leader responded to recent statements by French politician Marine Le Pen regarding her intention to terminate direct financial support for Ukraine if she comes to power. This discussion unfolds against the backdrop of an approaching series of electoral cycles in leading European states, where Eurosceptics and opposition forces traditionally hold strong positions.

### Electoral Challenges and Marine Le Pen's Position

It is worth recalling that the leader of the French National Rally, Marine Le Pen, previously stated openly in an interview with Financial Times that she intends to wind down direct aid to Kyiv if she wins the French presidential election. Furthermore, she categorically opposes Ukraine's integration into the European Union, casting doubt on the expediency of Paris continuing to participate in pan-European financial tranches for the Ukrainian state. Such rhetoric reflects the growing fatigue of a segment of the European establishment with the protracted crisis and the desire to redirect internal resources toward solving social problems within France.

### Kyiv's Arguments: Why Cutting Aid Harms Paris

Commenting on these threats, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that halting funding and support for Ukraine would have negative consequences primarily for France itself. According to the Ukrainian president, France's modern military-industrial complex and defense companies are in dire need of the unique practical experience that the Ukrainian army gains daily on the battlefield. Without direct interaction and the exchange of technological and tactical developments, the French defense sector risks falling behind current security challenges.

### Contradictory Data

While Marine Le Pen focuses on the domestic economic burden and France's budget deficit, insisting on the cessation of foreign aid, official authorities in Paris and the expert community point to the strategic necessity of investing in Eastern Europe's security. The contradiction lies between populist calls to cut spending for the sake of internal needs and the pragmatic understanding that the continent's geopolitical stability directly affects France's economic well-being.

### Implications for European Security

The expected series of elections in European countries over the next 12 months creates serious risks for the formation of a unified anti-war and pro-Ukrainian coalition in the EU. The success of pro-Russian or nationalist parties could significantly complicate strategic decision-making processes. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian leadership continues to insist that supporting Ukraine is not charity, but an investment in the common security of the democratic world, which France cannot abandon without harming its own national interests.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Франции есть что терять: Зеленский ответил Ле Пен на обещание остановить финансирование Украины](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/frantsiyi-e-shcho-vtrachati-zelenskiy-vidpoviv-1792043927.html) - Основной источник интервью Зеленского для Financial Times
- [Марин Ле Пен: «Мы больше не можем финансировать Украину» — у Франции хватает своих проблем](https://argumenti.ru/world/marin-le-pen-my-bolshe-ne-mozhem-finansirovat-ukrainu-u-francii-hvataet-svoih-1011726) - Заявление Ле Пен о прекращении помощи
- [Ле Пен заявила, что Франция больше не в состоянии финансировать Украину](https://sport.rambler.ru/chess/57235626-le-pen-zayavila-chto-frantsiya-bolshe-ne-v-sostoyanii-finansirovat-ukrainu/) - Дополнительное подтверждение позиций Ле Пен
- [Ле Пен сравнила членство Украины в ЕС с харакири для Европы](https://news.mail.ru/politics/72718837/) - Позиция Ле Пен по поводу евроинтеграции Украины

## FAQ

### What exactly did Marine Le Pen promise in her interview with the Financial Times?

Marine Le Pen stated that if she wins the French presidential election, she will terminate direct financial and military assistance to Ukraine.

### What is Volodymyr Zelenskyy's main argument in response to Le Pen's statements?

Zelenskyy stated that halting aid is disadvantageous to France itself, as French defense companies desperately need the unique experience of the Ukrainian battlefield.