Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to discuss European security and the possible impact of a Trump presidency for a second time when he talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday.
Before attending a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Macron and Starmer are expected to discuss the Russian invasion and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Downing Street said.
The meeting comes amid questions over US President Donald Trump’s support for Ukraine after he said he could end the war with Russia “one day”.
Trade will also be on the agenda, with Trump saying he will impose a 20% tariff on imports into the US.
Some economists have warned of the global impact of the tariffs, predictably of a potential £22bn hit to UK exports.
Sir Keir – who is believed to be the first British leader to attend the ceremony on the Champs Elysee since Winston Churchill in 1944 – will also meet French Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
Among the topics to be discussed at the meeting are Ukraine, the Middle East, migration and the government to “reset” relations with the EU.
In Ukraine, leaders are expected to talk about how to ensure their troops are in the best possible position ahead of winter. One topic of discussion was whether Ukraine could use long-range Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory.
But after months of discussions on this issue, the main decision maker until London and Paris remains President Biden, so no breakthrough is expected now.
Questions have been raised after Trump’s US presidential election victory about what a second term would mean for US support for Ukraine and NATO.
On weekends, reported the Washington Post Trump has spoken to Vladimir Putin – urging the Russian leader not to escalate the war.
The Kremlin denied the calls, claiming the Washington Post article “doesn’t correspond to the facts”.
British Defense Secretary John Healey said if the phone report was true “then President Trump was right to warn Putin against the escalation in Ukraine”.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said he expected the United States to “remain steadfast” in supporting Ukraine because of the strength of “bipartisan support” in the country.
“We have increased our support for Ukraine, we have accelerated the delivery of aid, and we are now spending more on Ukraine and supporting Ukraine than we have done before,” he said.
Britain and France say supporting Ukraine against Russia is important while protecting the European continent as a whole.
Trump previously told NATO members to increase defense spending, saying he would allow aggressors such as Russia to do “whatever they want” to those who don’t.
During the election campaign, Donald Trump refused to specify how he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine in the day – but he could participate in imposing an agreement on both sides.
Bryan Lanza, who worked on Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, told the BBC that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should have one. “a realistic vision for peace”which will not involve stopping Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
However, a spokesman for Donald Trump distanced himself from the remarks, saying Mr Bryan “doesn’t speak for him”.
The Armistice Day meeting between Starmer and Macron comes as the war between Ukraine and Russia escalates.
Exchange on weekends saw the largest drone attack by both sides against each other since the beginning of the war, and the Russian defense minister said he intercepted 84 Ukrainian drones over six regions, including some closer to Moscow.
On Sunday, Treasury Minister Darren Jones told BBC One Sunday with the government’s Laura Kuenssberg programme wants to increase defense spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income.
However, he did not say when the target would be reached or if it would be done before the next election, the latest of which could be in 2029.
Sir Keir joined other political leaders and members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, for the annual National Service 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 in world wars or other conflicts.
As on Remembrance Sunday, two minutes of silence will be observed on Armistice Day at 11:00 GMT.
This marks the end of World War I, at 11:00 on the 11th of the 11th, in 1918.
