Story highlights French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has sought closer ties with Russia

Vladimir Putin spokesman: Russia isn't trying to influence upcoming French election

(CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the "great importance" of ties between his country and France as he met French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen at the Kremlin on Friday, Russian state-run news agency Tass reported.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters that Russia was not seeking to influence the upcoming French election but had the right to communicate with French politicians.

Russia had no intention of "interfering in anyone's internal business or electoral processes," Peskov said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen of the far-right Front National at the Kremlin.

In turn, Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Front party, criticized European Union sanctions against Russia, calling them "unfair and silly," Tass reported.

Le Pen told the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, that she had "always pressed for the abolition of sanctions" because she regarded them as "counter-productive," Tass said.

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