Marine Le Pen says France will recognize Crimea as Russian territory if she is elected president

Leader of France's far-right National Front party Marine Le Pen says she is prepared to recognize the reunification of Crimea with Russia as legitimate if she is elected to the French presidency.

The National Front has spoken out against anti-Russian policies from the moment sanctions began against Russia, said Le Pen in an interview with RT France.

In mid February 2016, the National Front asked Russia for a 27 million euro ($30 million) loan to fund Le Pen's 2017 presidential campaign.

Controversy has swirled around Russian financing of France's National Front. In 2014, a bank with ties to Russia gave the party an 11 million euro loan. French politicians accused the National Front of having been bought by Russia.

In February 2016, France's National Front party leader, Marine Le Pen, announced she would run for president in 2017. Poll numbers suggest she is lagging in popularity behind the French Republican party's candidate, Alain Juppé.