"Jordan Bardella, President of the French Patriots, said his party alongside 'many French citizens' opposed the deployment of French troops for a 'multinational force' in Ukraine, in Strasbourg on Tuesday. "We are, and I speak as the president of a French political party, opposed to the deployment of French troops to Ukraine, as are many French citizens. But in the discussions we have had on security measures, a demilitarised zone could be created under the responsibility of the UN and the blue helmets," he said. Bardella went on to stress that European leaders must balance support for Kiev with the protection of domestic economic interests. “Peace for Ukraine cannot come at the price of sacrificing the European economy,” he said, warning that sanctions against the Russian military-industrial complex, while legitimate, have pushed up prices for essential commodities across Europe, including grains, sugar, and poultry. Bardella also noted that potential EU accession for Ukraine could redirect agricultural credits from French farmers, placing additional strain on national budgets. The comments come a day after European leaders stated they had agreed to a 'multinational force' for Ukraine after any peace deal - with Chancellor Friedrich Merz claiming the US had agreed to as yet unspecified 'Article-5-like' guarantees. Zelensky earlier suggested he would drop his country's bid to join NATO. Donald Trump said "we are closer now than we have been ever" to a ceasefire following the conclusion of the latest Ukraine talks in Berlin on Monday. Moscow said it had not seen the new text of any deal following the talks."