French presidential candidate and leader of the National Front party Marine Le Pen said she wanted to lift "ineffective" and "counterproductive" sanctions imposed on Russia to resume cooperation on wide-ranging issues.

Axar.az reports referring to RIA novosty.

Since 2014, relations between Russia and the European Union deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Brussels, Washington and their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 and over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.

Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability. "I want to lift these sanctions. At a minimum, the ones that relate to France. I always thought they were both unfair and totally ineffective, even counterproductive," Le Pen told RIA Novosti. Noting the anti-Russia sanctions' role in hampering "any dialogue with Russia," Le Pen underscored the "destructive" impact of the European Union's economic measures on French agriculture. "We are interested in cooperation with your country, and in joint work on many issues, from countering Islamic terrorism and settling the Syrian crisis," she added. Blinded by Dogma, EU Views Russia Through Ideological Prism The European Union is blinded by its dogmatic beliefs and views the situation with Russia and other countries through an ideological prism, Marine Le Pen added. "The European Union is too blinded by their dogma to realistically look at the situation. The EU is unable to analyze this," Le Pen told RIA Novosti. The National Front party leader observed that Brussels views Russia and other countries "through a purely ideological prism." "No one takes into account neither our interests nor the real situation. This is dogmatism at all levels, a ban on reflection and thought," Le Pen stressed.