Macron and Starmer committed to Ukraine ‘as long as necessary’

French President Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer said France and Britain would support Ukraine for as long as necessary “to stop Russia’s war of aggression”.

The Prime Minister marked Armistice Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris as Macron’s guest on Monday, and held a meeting with his French counterpart to talk about Russia’s invasion and stopping the situation. illegal migration across the English Channel.

A statement from the Elysee Palace said the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to “steadfast support for Ukraine”.

Their meeting comes as questions are being raised about US President-elect Donald Trump’s support for Ukraine after he said he could end the war “in a day”.

Macron personally invited the prime minister to attend the 120th anniversary of the Intimate Treaty between France and Britain, paving the way for greater diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.

The statement said the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to “support Ukraine steadfastly and for as long as necessary to prevent Russia’s war of aggression”.

There were no details on whether the pair supported allowing Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russian territory.

The key decision-maker for London and Paris remains President Biden – who has so far not allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles against targets inside Russia for fear of escalation.

Questions have been raised following Trump’s presidential election victory about what his second term might mean for US support for Ukraine and NATO.

Last weekend, The Washington Post reported Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin – urging the Russian leader not to escalate the war further.

The Kremlin denied the phone call took place, saying the Washington Post article was “completely inconsistent with reality”.

Macron thanked Sir Keir for being the first British leader at the Champs-Élysées ceremony since Winston Churchill in 1944.

During the Armistice Day celebrations, Sir Keir also met French Prime Minister Michel Barnier before observing a minute’s silence.

Sir Keir and Macron laid wreaths at Churchill’s statue in Paris and traveled in an open car to parade around the Arc de Triomphe.

During the meeting, Sir Keir and Macron also pledged to “cooperate on migration issues in the English Channel, especially confronting human trafficking networks”, a statement said.

The pair discussed European security and the “prospects of the relationship” between the EU and UK, along with discussions on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

“Finally, the two leaders reiterated their desire to deepen bilateral relations, especially in the fields of security and defense,” the statement said.

Previously, British Defense Secretary John Healey said that if the information about the call was accurate, “then President Trump was absolutely right to warn Putin about the escalating situation in Ukraine.”

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said he expected the US to “remain steadfast” in supporting Ukraine due to the strength of “bipartisan support” in the country.

“We have increased our support to Ukraine, we are accelerating the delivery of aid and we are now spending more on Ukraine and supporting Ukraine than ever before,” he added.

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.

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 Lanza “does not speak for him”.

The Armistice Day meeting between Starmer and Macron comes as fighting between Ukraine and Russia 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.