Elly Wright 💙🕷 #InLimbo #The5Million

Le Pen: “Ukraine is part of Russia's sphere of influence, it's a fact. Just like Canada is part of America's sphere of influence.” As French voters head toward a crucial election where Marine Le Pen is projected as a frontrunner, it is vital to revisit her track record of appeasement and dangerous miscalculations. This archival 2017 interview lays bare her alignment with putin, where she casually dismissed Ukraine as part of Russia's "sphere of influence," trivialised illegal territorial aggression as mere things that "happen”, and praised putin’s brutal intervention in Syria. While putin’s war machine was devastating cities and killing thousands, Le Pen championed the dismantling of NATO and absolved Moscow of any military threat to Europe. Watch this clip to see for yourself how the far-right leader historically downplayed the ambitions of an aggressor and ask yourself whether France can afford to entrust its future to someone who excused tyranny in the name of dirty money. Journalist Emily Maitlis: “Do you think the West has misunderstood President putin?” Le pen: “ I think the previous American administration put the Berlin Wall on wheels and pushed it back to Russia's borders. That was in the interest of the US. Was it in the interest of the EU? The answer is no. We have no reason to enter into a new Cold War with Russia. But indeed, the sphere of influence of Russia, that's going to increase a bit. The Baltic States too. Bah if you want, we made deals with Russia after World War II and those deals were reneged on, because in recent years the US kept arming countries on Russia's border through NATO. So it was felt by Russia as a form of hostility. And I'm not a supporter of mounting conflict, hostility, of warmongering. These are provocations that naturally cause a reaction. Well, Ukraine is part of Russia's sphere of influence, it's a fact. Just like Canada is part of America's sphere of influence.” Journalist Emily Maitlis: “If the Russian military made an incursion into the Baltic States, or again into Ukraine, would France protect them?” Le Pen: “You want war at all cost? What is your problem? You want to go to war? You like war? You want war? You want conflict? You want us to start World War III? At the moment no one wants to go to war with anyone. I'm happy to go into all the hypotheses, but no one is going to war with anyone. There was a territorial conflict with Ukraine. These things happen. Now it has to be resolved diplomatically. And I think France's voice has weight, as long as France is France, not just a region of the EU. But honestly if you're trying to say that Russia is a military danger to European countries, I think you're mistaken in your analysis.” Journalist Emily Maitlis: “What should be France's commitment towards NATO?” Le Pen: “I think France should leave NATO Allied Command. And I agree with Donald Trump when he says NATO is obsolete. Because NATO was created to fight the USSR. Today there is no USSR. I know it's uncomfortable for some, but there's no more USSR. There's Russia, which doesn't deserve to be treated with prejudice. It hasn't led any campaigns against European countries, or against the US.” Journalist Emily Maitlis: “Has putin done more good or harm to the world?” Le Pen: “First we need to ask whether he did more harm than good to Russia. Russia is going broadly in the right direction. It has improved its economy, although it's still fragile, but it has improved its economy and in any case what I notice is that putin’s government must be pretty popular with Russians given that it's constantly being re-elected. What more can say? Has he done good? Well, when he intervened in Syria against ISIS, yes, I think it was positive. Yes.” (This interview dates from March 2017. It is from an appearance Marine Le Pen made on the BBC political program Newsnight, interviewed by journalist Emily Maitlis during her 2017 French presidential campaign.)