French presidential candidate Fillon to meet Merkel in Berlin


Francois Fillon, member of Les Republicains political party and 2017 presidential candidate of the French centre-right, attends a political rally in Nice, France, January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jean-Pierre Amet

BERLIN (Reuters) - European Union sanctions on Russia are pointless, the frontrunner in France's presidential election Francois Fillon said on Monday in Berlin, warning Russia and the United States under Donald Trump could forge links that exclude the EU.

Speaking after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the conservative candidate said the EU was "despised by major powers" because of its divisions and must better defend its economic interests.

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