Russia has rejected claims that it poses a security threat to France or other European countries after senior National Rally figures warned Moscow against trying to influence French policy. The exchange comes amid rising concern in Europe over alleged Russian hybrid activity, pressure on Western companies and the conduct of Russia’s parliamentary election.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia was not threatening France or any other European state. His comments followed a joint statement by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, who warned that Moscow must not use intimidation, destabilisation or psychological pressure against France.
What the Kremlin said
Peskov told reporters that Russia had no disputes with European countries that could lead to serious disagreements. He also repeated President Vladimir Putin’s position that Moscow does not threaten European states.
The response followed criticism from Le Pen and Bardella of what they described as hostile Russian actions affecting French and European interests. Their intervention marked a notably direct condemnation of Moscow by the National Rally’s leading figures.
National Rally warns against foreign pressure
Le Pen and Bardella said France would not accept a foreign power attempting to dictate national policy through threats or destabilisation. Their statement came after a crisis meeting held by French President Emmanuel Macron with political party leaders, including Bardella.
Macron briefed participants on a range of issues, including security concerns linked to Russia. He subsequently said that Moscow’s alleged shadow operations across Europe represented a growing danger and that France was taking steps to protect critical infrastructure from possible hybrid attacks.
The National Rally leaders referred to several developments in their statement, including a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany that German authorities have blamed on Russia. They also said French economic interests and defence-related companies could be targeted.
These claims concern alleged or suspected hostile activity rather than a declared military conflict between France and Russia. The Kremlin has denied that it threatens France or other European countries.
Why the position is politically significant
The National Rally’s latest criticism of Moscow contrasts with earlier positions associated with Le Pen and the party’s predecessor, the National Front. Le Pen previously expressed admiration for Putin and questioned the description of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea as illegal.
The party also took out a €9.4 million loan from a Russian bank in 2014 after French banks declined to provide financing. The National Rally said in 2023 that the loan had been fully repaid.
The change in tone matters because the party remains a major force in French politics, while questions about Russia’s influence, foreign financing and support for Ukraine continue to shape European political debate.
Ukraine aid remains a point of disagreement
Although Le Pen and Bardella criticised Russian pressure, they said debate over financial assistance to Ukraine remained legitimate. Bardella has argued that unconditional financial and military support is not a sustainable policy, while insisting that this does not amount to abandoning Ukraine.
His comments followed remarks by National Rally vice-president Louis Aliot, who said France should stop funding additional weapons when domestic public services and the wider economy were under pressure. Bardella sought to distinguish that position from a policy of ending all support for Ukraine.
The disagreement reflects a wider European political question: how governments can support Ukraine, manage public spending and respond to security risks without widening the conflict. EU support for Ukraine remains a matter for member-state governments and European institutions, while national parties continue to debate its scale and conditions.
France criticises Russia’s parliamentary election
Russia’s United Russia party retained its majority in the State Duma, the country’s lower house, according to election officials. Preliminary results indicated that the party would win 355 of the 450 seats, although the source report described the result as preliminary.
The vote took place over three days and was held in an environment in which parties critical of the Kremlin and the war in Ukraine were excluded. France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said it acknowledged the expected result but regretted that the conditions for a free, pluralistic and democratic election had not been met.
France also expressed disappointment that Russia had not invited the OSCE’s human-rights and democracy observation mission to monitor the vote. The absence of that mission has added to criticism from Western governments about electoral oversight and political competition in Russia.
What happens next
The immediate dispute is diplomatic rather than legislative. No new European Union measure was announced in the source material, and the comments do not amount to a formal change in French or EU policy.
Further developments are likely to focus on:
- French assessments of alleged Russian hybrid activity and protection for critical infrastructure;
- the final confirmation and international reaction to Russia’s State Duma results;
- the treatment of Western companies operating in Russia;
- National Rally policy on Ukraine support and relations with Moscow; and
- coordination among European governments on security, sanctions and foreign interference.
For Ireland and other EU member states, the broader issue is how national governments respond to suspected hybrid threats while maintaining a common European position on Russia and Ukraine. The latest developments also underline the difference between political statements, intelligence assessments and formally adopted EU decisions.
Conclusion
The Kremlin’s denial that Russia threatens France has done little to resolve the wider dispute. The exchange comes as French authorities and political parties debate alleged Russian interference, the security of critical infrastructure, business pressure and continued support for Ukraine. The key takeaway is that European governments are confronting a contested security environment in which diplomatic denials, national warnings and EU-level policy responses may continue to develop separately.
