French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal defended his aid strategy for Ukraine on Tuesday before lawmakers, who are expected to approve a Franco-Ukrainian security deal despite left-wing dissent and the abstention of far-right Marine Le Pen’s party, AFP reported.

At the “turning point of the conflict”, the head of the government opened the debate, paying “tribute to the exceptional resilience of the Ukrainian people”, for which people’s deputies gave a standing ovation.

He insisted on the “concrete” and “tangible” risks of a Russian victory for the “everyday life” of the French, “the cataclysm of their purchasing power”: “tenfold food inflation, the explosion of energy prices ten times higher.”

Voting against France’s bailout strategy would mean “turning our backs on our history.” “To hold back is to flee,” he chided, taking aim at La France Insoumise (Radical Left, LFI) and Marine Le Pen’s National Union (RN).

“We do not impose any restrictions on Russia, which does not set any restrictions,” he emphasized after the controversial statements of Emmanuel Macron, who did not rule out sending Western troops to the ground.

A non-binding vote is expected at around 20:00 (19:00 GMT), the result of which could favor the government with the support of the right-wing Les Républicains (LR) party, the Socialists and the environmentalists.

It is about the Franco-Ukrainian security agreement of February 16. Signed for a period of ten years, it provides for the strengthening of military cooperation, especially in the field of artillery and air defense.

Marine Le Pen’s group will “abstain” from the vote, its president Jordan Bardella said, citing “red lines” including the deployment of ground troops and Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO and the European Union.

The hot topic of the campaign and the support of “up to three billion euros of additional support”

“You (…) seized and used a major international crisis to serve a short-term electoral agenda” ahead of the European Parliament elections, Marine Le Pen said.

“Either we are pro-Macronists, or we are accused of being pro-Putin,” she said, explaining her choice to abstain.

In his statement, the head of government defended the French-Ukrainian security agreement of February 16. Signed for a period of ten years, it provides for the strengthening of military cooperation, especially in the field of artillery and air defense.

In 2024, Paris promises to provide “up to three billion euros of additional support.”

“These three billion euros are not a check for Ukraine. They correspond to the maximum value of our military aid in 2024, including the orders placed in our French defense industries,” explained Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu.

Refusal of support

Three months before the European elections on June 9, aid to Ukraine has become one of the key themes of the campaign, especially after Emmanuel Macron’s statements at the end of February, in which he did not rule out sending ground troops and did not want to establish “unlimited” support to Kyiv.

After these statements, which caused a significant resonance in France and Europe, in particular with Germany, Sébastien Lecorne assured the French government that sending “combat troops on the spot is out of the question”, while President Volodymyr Zelensky tried to reassure the French, the press on Monday that “as long as Ukraine resists, the French army can remain on the territory of France.”

President Emmanuel Macron has made increasing aid to Ukraine one of his top priorities, but support for this financial and military support is waning in French public opinion.

An Elabe poll for BFMTV channel and La Tribune newspaper showed on Sunday that 39% of French people believe that France should continue to support Kyiv economically and financially as it does now, down 11 points from June 28, 2023. And more and more French people (26%, +3 points) believe that France should reduce its support.

The same trend applies to military support: 43% (-9 points) believe that the EU should continue to support Kyiv as it is now, while 22% (+4) believe that it should reduce its support.