Marine Le Pen on official visit to Russia, received by the President

Vladimir Putin received the head of the French right-wing National Front, Marine Le Pen, in Moscow, Patria reports.

The British Guardian writes that this meeting could spark fear in Europe due to alleged Russian support for the right-wing.

Russian news agencies reported that Putin stressed to Le Pen that Russia has no intention of interfering in the upcoming presidential elections in France, although this meeting threatens to send the opposite message.  

- We do not wish to influence events in any way, but we reserve the right to meet with various political forces, just as our European and American partners do, Putin explained.

Le Pen traveled to Moscow at the invitation of a member of parliament for meetings in parliament, and was not expected to meet with the president. However, after meetings in parliament, the National Front candidate appeared in photos from the Kremlin.

Putin expressed interest in exchanging views on the situation in Europe.

- I am aware that you represent a rapidly growing European political force in Europe, he told Le Pen. 

She believes that European countries should exchange information on counter-terrorism efforts with Russian security services to prevent attacks.

- You are aware of what happened in Great Britain a few days ago. I think it would be useful for our two countries to exchange intelligence information, she told the president.

Marine Le Pen appealed to Russia and France to work together to save the world from “globalization and Islamic fundamentalism”, which are two of the themes of her election campaign.

- I am a completely free woman. I do not want to be under the supervision of America... I do not want to be under the supervision of Russia, Le Pen emphasizes. “We live in a time where conspiracy theories are in vogue. Whatever goes wrong, Russia is to blame. That makes me laugh.”

Le Pen has always shown admiration for Vladimir Putin, and in her statements, she has also supported the annexation of Crimea.

The French satirical magazine Le Canard Enchaine wrote last year that Mike Turner, a Republican from the US House of Representatives and a member of the intelligence committee, appealed to US intelligence agencies to investigate Marine Le Pen's Russian connections.

James Clapper, then Director of National Intelligence, wrote in a letter dated November 28 that Marine Le Pen's National Front “announced that it received $9.8 million from a Kremlin-linked Russian bank”.

The head of finance for the National Front, Wallerand de Saint-Just, denies claims that the leader's visit to Russia is for the purpose of raising campaign funds. His comments come amid admissions by some party members that they are millions short for the campaign.

Putin is also known for his good relationship with another key figure of the French right-wing, the candidate of the Les Republicains party, Francois Fillon.