Russia’s hopes of normalizing relations with France have been dashed by the results of French parliamentary elections, a Kremlin spokesman said on Monday.

The Kremlin has “neither hope nor illusion” of improving relations between Moscow and Paris, strained by the war in Ukraine, following the results of French parliamentary elections.

“For Russia, the best thing would be a victory for political forces that are ready to make efforts to restore bilateral relations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. who has made no secret of his support for her National Alarm Marine Le Penwho, like her father, had close friendly and financial relations with Moscow.

“But for the time being, we do not see such a clearly expressed political will in anyone, therefore, we have neither hope nor any particular illusion,” he said.

Relations between France and Russia worsened when Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, with Paris joining EU countries in imposing sanctions on Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron was the only European leader to maintain direct contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the invasion, which he eventually broke off.

Peskov added that “the moods of French voters” were “unpredictable” and that Moscow “would watch the formation of a government, the formation of alliances … with great interest.”

“France is a very important country on the European continent, so of course we follow everything that happens there with interest,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

Before the second round of parliamentary elections, the Kremlin had taken a clear and official position in favor of National Rally, with the foreign ministry writing in a post accompanying Marine Le Pen’s photo on social media last week that French voters “seek a sovereign foreign policy that serves their national interests and a break from the dictates of Washington and Brussels.”