MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Fillon has attacked the policy of French President Francois Hollande with regard to Russia, calling for more independence on the part of France.
"What counts in the foreign policy that I want to pursue is that France defend its interests. The policy of Hollande with regard to Russia is absurd, it pushes Russia to harden, to isolate itself. It is the largest country in the world packed with nuclear weapons and therefore a dangerous country if treated like it has been treated for five years. The real danger for Europe, economic [danger], is the Asian continent," Fillon said during the Friday debates.
The second republican frontrunner Alain Juppe agreed that France needs to go along a different path than the current one and defend its interests.
"France must be itself and reconquer its freedom of choice. France must become what it once was, a power of world influence. We are a nuclear power, what is not ok is that our economy is weakened and our voice has become inaudible. I want to strengthen that voice. From that point on, we are free from our choices, I do not want France to be dependent either on Washington or Moscow," Juppe said.
