Ukraine, trade and Trump are on the agenda as Keir Starmer makes a trip to Paris
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to discuss European security and the possible impact of a second Trump presidency when he holds talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday.
Before attending the ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Mr Macron and Mr Starmer are expected to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Downing Street said.
Their meeting comes as people are questioning US President-elect Donald Trump’s support for Ukraine after he said he could end the war with Russia “in a day”.
Trade will also be on the agenda, with Trump saying he will impose a 20% tariff on imports into the US.
Sir Keir – who is believed to be the first British leader to attend the ceremony on the Champs Elysee avenue since Winston Churchill in 1944 – will also meet French Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
Questions have been raised following Trump’s US presidential election victory about what his second term might mean for US support for Ukraine and NATO.
Britain and France believe that supporting Ukraine against Russia is necessary to protect the European continent as a whole.
Trump has previously asked NATO members to increase defense spending, saying he would let aggressors like Russia do “whatever they want” with countries that do not.
During his election campaign, Donald Trump refused to specify how he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day – but that would likely involve imposing a deal on both sides.
Bryan Lanza, who worked on Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, told the BBC that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must have a “realistic vision for peace”this would not involve ending the annexation of Crimea by Russia.
However, Donald Trump’s spokesman distanced himself from the comments, saying Mr Bryan “does not speak for him”.
The Armistice Day meeting between Starmer and Macron comes as fighting between the two sides intensifies.
Weekend exchange saw both sides’ biggest drone attacks against each other since the start of the war, and the Russian Defense Ministry said it had intercepted 84 Ukrainian drones over six regions, some of which are approaching Moscow.
On Sunday, Finance Minister Darren Jones told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program that the government wants to increase defense spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income.
However, he did not say when the target would be achieved or whether it would be achieved before the next election, which could be held in 2029 at the latest.
Sir Keir was joined by other political leaders and members of the Royal Family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, at the annual National Remembrance ceremony at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday.
King Charles led the nation in two minutes of silence in remembrance of those who died serving in the two world wars or other conflicts.
Like Remembrance Sunday, two minutes of silence will be held on Armistice Day at 11:00 GMT.
It marks the end of World War I, at 11 o’clock on November 11, 1918.
