Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Marine Le Pen, a leading French presidential candidate, to a surprise meeting at the Kremlin Friday, just hours after the National Front leader urged an end to European Union sanctions against Russia.
?This meeting is especially important now that a serious terrorist threat hangs over all of us,? Le Pen said, according to a transcript provided by the Kremlin.
Le Pen, who?s seen in polls as likely to reach the May 7 run-off for the presidency, is the most outspoken admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin among the top five French candidates, and openly backs his 2014 annexation of Crimea that prompted the EU to impose sanctions.
Earlier Friday at talks with Putin ally, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Le Pen said she has always opposed European Union sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict, calling them ?counterproductive.?The visit by the far right firebrand comes a day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hailed Le Pen and U.S. President Donald Trump as ?realists? and not as representatives of ?populist? political views.
?We?re not trying in any way to intervene but we reserve the right for ourselves to meet with representatives of all political forces in the country, as our partners do, for example in Europe and the U.S,? Putin said in televised footage of the opening of the meeting, which wasn?t announced in advance.
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