PARIS, April 18. /TASS/. Russia is a great power and Europe needs to maintain closer ties with Moscow to ensure regional security, French National Rally presidential candidate Marine Le Pen told the France Bleu radio station.

"I believe that Russia is a great power and I wouldn’t want it to fully ally itself with China," she noted. "A rapprochement between Europe and Russia is important for ensuring the security of our continent and our country," Le Pen stressed, adding that she agreed on that with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"Given the Ukrainian conflict, it may seem a distant goal but a head of state needs to look further," Le Pen said.

Le Pen will face incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron in a presidential runoff scheduled for April 24.