RFI
08 Jul 2025, 10:38 GMT+10
Emmanuel Macron is expected for a three-day state visit in the UK starting Tuesday, when he will address parliament. The French president will also co-chair a summit with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European leaders to discuss boosting Ukraine's defences.
Macron is the first French president to make a state visit to the UK since Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 and will follow in the footsteps of his predecessors Charles de Gaulle and Francois Mitterrand.
"The president and Mrs Macron will visit the Palace of Westminster, where the president will address parliamentarians" on Tuesday, the Buckingham Palace office ofKing Charles IIIsaid last week.
The king invited the French leader and his wife Brigitte for the three-day visit, which starts on Tuesday (8 July).
Charles will host them for a state banquet at his Windsor Castle residence, west of London, where the couple will also stay. While in Windsor, Macron will privately visit St George's Chapel to lay flowers on the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince William and his wife Catherine will greet the presidential couple on their arrival in the UK and accompany them on their journey to Windsor.
The trip follows Charles's state visit to France in September 2023 which was widely regarded as a success that helped boost relations.
King Charles heads to France for three-day state visit
The two countries have yet to agree a strategy to halt migrants making perilous small boatcrossings of the Channel, a key political issue in the UK.
As more small boats land on English shores, and the UK government is under mounting pressure from the far right to tackle irregular migration, London has pressed Paris to do more.
In recent weeks, France said it is considering stopping migrant boats in its shallow coastal waters, though the move raises safety and legal issues.
On Friday, the British government said it welcomed footage showing French police stopping a small boat carrying migrants from setting off across the Channel.
Migration will feature high on the agenda of the 37thFranco-British summit, which will take place on Thursday (10 July).
On that day, Macron and British Prime MinisterKeir Starmerwill also co-chair talks with other European leaders on boosting Ukraine's defences.
"There will certainly be a discussion on how to seriously maintain Ukraine's combat capability," the Elysee Palace said last week, adding that the meeting will take place by video link.
The meeting on 10 July comes as US-led peace talks on ending the more than three-year-old war againstUkrainehave stalled.
The US, Ukraine's biggest military backer since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, said last week it was halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Europe must 'step up' as US halts some arms to Ukraine, EU chief says
During the Ukraine meeting, Macron and Starmer will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the French presidency said.
The summit will touch upon the deployment of "a reassurance force" to Ukraine after a ceasefire. The discussions will also focus on "how to increase pressure on Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire that it has consistently refused."
(with AFP)
Originally published on RFI
Get a daily dose of New Orleans Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to New Orleans Sun.
More InformationHONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...
NEW YORK, New York - Monday's trading session saw mixed performances across U.S. and global markets, with several major indices posting...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. government has granted GE Aerospace permission to resume jet engine shipments to China's COMAC, a person...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: Saudi Aramco is exploring asset sales as part of a broader push to unlock capital, with gas-fired power plants among...
MILAN, Italy: Italian regulators have flagged four non-EU countries—including Russia—as carrying systemic financial risk for domestic...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: With just weeks to spare before a potential government default, U.S. lawmakers passed a sweeping tax and spending...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump claimed he was unaware that the term shylock is regarded as antisemitic when he used it in...
PARIS, France: A strike by French air traffic controllers demanding improved working conditions caused significant disruptions during...
OMAHA, Nebraska: With Congress considering cuts totaling around US$1 trillion to Medicaid over the next decade, concerns are rising...
ROME, Italy: Quick thinking by emergency responders helped prevent greater devastation after a gas station explosion in southeastern...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump is drawing praise from his core supporters after halting key arms shipments to Ukraine, a...
MOSCOW, Russia: This week, Russia became the first country to officially recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan since...