Raphaël Glucksmann, a center-left candidate for the French presidency, has condemned US President Donald Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports, Politico reports.
Speaking at the Politico Competitiveness Summit in Paris, Glucksmann stated that the US is led by a man who is either a “useful idiot” or is deliberately seeking to destroy Europe’s strength and freedom. He emphasized that Russia’s war in Ukraine directly affects Europeans.
Glucksmann insisted that a victory for his rival, far-right politician Marine Le Pen, in the 2027 presidential election would also be a victory for Russian dictator Putin and a step closer to Europe’s defeat.
Le Pen has previously expressed a degree of admiration for Putin, and her party, the National Rally (RN), received a loan in 2014 from a bank linked to Russia. Le Pen explained that the party borrowed abroad because no French bank would grant it a loan, and maintained that the loan did not influence her political stance in any way. The party has since repaid the loan.
Although Le Pen has condemned Moscow’s war in Ukraine, several elected officials from her party strongly oppose support for Ukraine and favor closer ties with Russia.
At a Politico event in September, Le Pen stated that while France could assist Ukraine with military training and support, it would no longer be able to provide financial aid due to budget constraints. Le Pen has currently emerged as the clear frontrunner in the race for the presidency.
Glucksmann, one of the most pro-European candidates for the upcoming elections, reiterated in an interview with *Politico* his support for the European Sky Shield project and the need to build a more unified, sovereign European defense industry. This initiative is also backed by current French President Emmanuel Macron and a large number of French politicians. Glucksmann remarked that for decades, Europe had entrusted its security and sovereignty to Washington, and there is now a growing realization of how misguided that choice was.
The politician stated that without joint investment, no European nation—including Germany—would be capable of confronting future warfare, describing it as a “matter of life and death.” In an interview,
Glucksmann outlined what his foreign policy would look like should he succeed in assuming the presidency in 2027: it would focus on strengthening relations between European nations
rather than attempting to appease leaders such as Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping. He stated that he would prefer to visit Warsaw or Tallinn over Beijing or Moscow. Glucksmann has frequently criticized the lavish reception accorded to Putin at the Palace of Versailles in 2017, as well as Macron’s decision to take Xi on a tour of the French president’s grandmother’s native village in southwestern France.
The center-left candidate argued that Europe needs to balance the power dynamic in negotiations with China. He also maintained that the European Union should stick to its goal of phasing out the production of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 and invest more heavily in electric vehicle manufacturing to avoid ceding the entire sector to China.
Glucksmann presents himself as a French president who would stand up to figures viewed as leaders of global superpowers—such as Xi, Putin, and Trump. Meanwhile, as the election campaign gains momentum, Glucksmann is also seeking to strengthen his position on domestic policy issues. He stated that the student protests—which, among other issues, have arisen due to teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and dilapidated schools—are entirely legitimate and justified. Glucksmann also pointed out that teachers’ salaries are too low.