Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to discuss European security and the potential impact of a second Trump presidency when he holds talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday.
Before attending the event at the Tomb of the Soldier, Macron and Starmer are expected to discuss the ongoing Russian offensive and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Downing Street said.
Their meeting came as questions were raised about 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 US imports.
Some economists have warned of the global impact of these costs, predictably potentially £22bn in UK exports.
Sir Keir – believed to be the first British leader to attend an event at the Champs Elysee since Winston Churchill in 1944 – will also meet French Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
Among the topics likely to be discussed at the meeting are Ukraine, the Middle East, migration and the government’s push to “reset” relations with the EU.
In Ukraine, leaders are expected to discuss how to ensure that its forces are in top shape before winter. Another potential topic of discussion is whether Ukraine could use the long-range Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russian territory.
But after months of discussions on this matter the key decision maker as far as London and Paris is still President Biden, so no success is expected today.
Questions have arisen following Trump’s victory in the US presidential election about what his second term might mean for US support for Ukraine and NATO.
At the weekend, reports the Washington Post Trump has spoken to Vladimir Putin – urging the Russian leader not to escalate the war.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey said if the wiretapping reports were correct “then President Trump was right to warn Putin about the escalation in Ukraine”.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said he expected the United States to “remain focused” on supporting Ukraine because of the strength of “bipartisan support” in the country.
“We have increased our support to Ukraine, we are speeding up the delivery of aid, and now we are spending more money in Ukraine and supporting Ukraine than ever before,” he added.
The UK and France have said that supporting Ukraine against Russia is important when it comes to protecting the European continent as a whole.
Trump has told Nato members to increase defense spending, saying he would allow aggressors like Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to those who don’t.
During his election campaign, Donald Trump refused to specify how he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine in a day – but it would involve forcing a deal on both sides.
Bryan Lanza, who worked on Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, told the BBC that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should “a realistic vision of peace”which would not involve ending Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
However, a spokesman for Donald Trump distanced himself from these comments, saying that Bryan “does not speak for him”.
The Armistice Day meeting between Starmer and Macron comes as fighting between the two sides intensifies.
Weekend trading has seen the largest drone attack by either side since the start of the war, and Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 84 Ukrainian drones in six regions, including some close to Moscow.
On Sunday, Finance Minister Darren Jones told BBC One on Sunday on Laura Kuenssberg’s show that the government. it wanted to increase defense spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income.
However, he did not say when the target will be reached and whether it will be achieved before the next election which may be held in 2029.
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 at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday.
King Charles led the nation in two minutes of silence as a memorial of those who lost their lives serving in two world wars or other conflicts.
As on Remembrance Sunday, two minutes silence will be observed on Armistice Day at 11:00 GMT.
It marks the moment the First World War ended, at 11:00 on the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918.
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