France's far-right National Front party has asked Russia for a 27-million-euro ($30 million) loan, claiming that the party needs it to finance its election campaigns in 2017, The Times newspaper reported Friday, citing the party’s treasurer.
Le Pen's party received a loan of 11 million euro from a bank with ties to Russia in 2014. At that time, French politicians and media claimed that the loan bought the party's public support of Russia's actions in Ukraine, the Meduza news agency reported.
Le Pen's party claimed that the results of the Crimea referendum in 2014, followed by the annexation of the peninsula by Russia, were legitimate, and also criticized the implementation of European Union's sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
The CIA has opened an investigation into Russian influence on European political movements over the last 10 years, according to an announcement made in January, Meduza reported.
