French MEP and center-left presidential candidate Raphaël Glucksmann sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on the export of Russian diesel fuel. Speaking on October 13 at a competitiveness summit in Paris, he said the move benefits the Kremlin and weakens Europe’s position.
“At the head of the United States is a man who is either a useful idiot or an agent undermining Europe’s strength and freedom,” Glucksmann said. According to him, Russia’s war against Ukraine “is directed directly against us, the Europeans, and we have been left alone.”
Glucksmann, who recently won the center-left primary by a decisive margin (more than 66% of the vote), also warned that a victory by his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in the 2027 presidential election would be a victory for Vladimir Putin and a step toward “the defeat of the European continent.” He called for stronger European defense, joint investments, and greater independence from Washington, stressing that for decades Europe had delegated its sovereignty and security to the United States and is now realizing the mistake.
