Putin meets Le Pen, denies election meddling
Russian President Vladimir Putin held an unprecedented meeting with French presidential contender Marine Le Pen at the Kremlin on Friday, hours after the National Front leader had urged a joint fight against terrorism and an end to European Union sanctions against his country.
“We’re not trying in any way to influence events but we reserve the right for ourselves to meet with representatives of all political forces of the country, as our partners do, for example in Europe and the U.S.,” Putin said in televised comments at the opening of their meeting.
With support for Fillon sliding ahead of next month’s first-round voting, polls show Le Pen is likely to face and lose to Emmanuel Macron in the runoff, a 39-year-old independent who backs the EU sanctions and accuses the Kremlin of cyberattacks on his campaign.