Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to discuss European security and the possible implications of a second Trump presidency at talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday.
According to Downing Street, British PM and Macron will discuss whether US President Joe Biden can be persuaded to authorise Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia with Storm Shadow missiles.
Their meeting comes amid questions about US President-elect Donald Trump’s support for Ukraine after he said he could end the war with Russia “in one day.”
Trade will also be on the agenda as Trump has said he will impose blanket 20 per cent tariffs on US imports. Some economists have warned of the global impact of such tariffs, predicting a potential £22bn hit to British exports.
Sir Keir, who is believed to be the first British leader to attend a ceremony on the Champs Elysees since Winston Churchill in 1944, will also meet French Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
Following Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, questions have arisen about how his second term could affect US support for Ukraine and NATO. The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Trump had already spoken to Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian leader to prevent the war from escalating further.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey said that if reports of the call are true, “then President Trump is absolutely right to warn Putin against escalation in Ukraine.”
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said he expected the United States to “remain steadfast” in its support for Ukraine due to the strength of “bipartisan support” in the country. He also added:
We have stepped up our support of Ukraine, we’re speeded up the delivery of aid, and we’re spending more now on Ukraine and supporting Ukraine than we ever have done before.
Britain and France have said that supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russia is necessary to protect the European continent as a whole.
Trump has previously urged NATO members to increase defence spending, saying he would allow “aggressors such as Russia to do whatever they want to those who do not.” During his election campaign, Donald Trump refused to specify how he was going to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day – but it could include imposing a deal on both sides.
Additional defence spending
Earlier, the media reported that the UK PM is set to announce an increase in defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP weeks after Donald Trump is inaugurated as US President in January 2025. If the decision is made, the UK will move from eighth to fourth among 32 NATO countries in terms of defence spending.
Sir Keir joined other political leaders and members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, at the annual National Service of Remembrance ceremony at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday.
King Charles announced two minutes of silence in memory of those who died in the two world wars and other conflicts.
As on Sunday, there will be a two-minute minute’s silence at 11:00 GMT on Armistice Day. The day marks the moment the First World War ended at 11:00 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.
