President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia congratulated Emmanuel Macron on Monday for his re-election as France’s president after defeating Marine Le Pen, a far-right candidate many in Russia appreciated as a possible game-changing choice for the Kremlin amid the specter of new sanctions and in the middle of the struggle in Ukraine.
“I sincerely want you good fortune for your state actions, in addition to just right well being and well-being,” Mr. Putin mentioned in a congratulatory word to Mr. Macron, printed by way of the Kremlin.
Mr. Macron has been some of the few Western politicians keen to interact with Mr. Putin, relentlessly seeking to push the Russian chief towards international relations. For the reason that get started of the struggle on Feb. 24, the 2 presidents have had 9 phone conversations, consistent with the Kremlin.
Then again, Mr. Macron has been sure by way of the French dedication to the trans-Atlantic team spirit, one thing that Ms. Le Pen, his rival, used to be keen to weaken. Ms. Le Pen, whose Nationwide Rally celebration borrowed thousands and thousands from a Russian financial institution during the last decade, mentioned rapprochement with Russia can be her foreign-policy precedence as soon as the preventing in Ukraine stopped.
A victory by way of Ms. Le Pen would had been observed as an excellent triumph for Mr. Putin, who has risked his nation’s long-term financial well-being for the sake of territorial achieve in Ukraine.
For some commentators in Russia, on the other hand, it wasn’t Ms. Le Pen’s far-right or pro-Moscow stance that avoided her from getting elected, however that she didn’t cross a long way sufficient in endorsing the Kremlin.
Zakhar Prilepin, a conservative Russian author and flesh presser, mentioned on social media that as a substitute of “seeking to get glued in conjunction with Macron into one undistinguishable ball,” Ms. Le Pen “needed to say that she helps the particular operation, would give up NATO, and ship the International Legion, Algerian particular forces and her personal safety element to Belgorod for drills.”
