Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

French lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine.

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, yesterday, President Trump officially ordered a pause on all US military aid to Ukraine that has not yet been delivered, including munitions, anti-tank weapons, and other critical supplies. A White House official stated, “The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.” Some lawmakers and analysts viewed the aid freeze as a move to force Zelenskyy into negotiations on Trump’s terms, despite Ukraine’s continued calls for military assistance and security guarantees in return for a deal.

What’s going on now: In a rare show of unity, France’s Prime Minister and far-right leader Marine Le Pen have condemned President Trump’s decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine, though for different reasons. Prime Minister François Bayrou denounced the move as an “unbearable” betrayal, warning that it effectively abandons Ukraine and strengthens Russia’s position.  

Speaking before the French Senate, Bayrou argued, “The word ‘suspension’ fools no one. The suspension in war of assistance to an aggressed country signifies that the aggressed country is being abandoned and that one accepts — or hopes — that its aggressor wins.” He also criticized Trump’s treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling last week’s Oval Office confrontation a “staggering” display of “brutality” aimed at pressuring Ukraine into submission.

Le Pen, who has often advocated for a more independent European foreign policy, described Trump’s decision as “very cruel” for Ukrainian soldiers but focused her criticism on the loss of US intelligence and technological support. “The halt in weapons deliveries is less problematic, as it can be compensated for, than the loss of US intelligence, technological assistance, and digital support,” she told Le Figaro. While acknowledging that the United States has the right to withdraw its support, she argued that Washington should have given Ukraine “a reasonable timeframe to adapt.”