France and the UK will support Ukraine for as long as necessary “to thwart Russia’s war of aggression”, French President Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer have said.
The prime minister marked Armistice Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris as a guest of Macron on Monday, and held a meeting with his French counterpart to talk about Russia’s invasion and stopping illegal migration in the Channel.
A statement from the Elysee Palace said the two leaders had reaffirmed their commitment to “support Ukraine unwaveringly”.
Their meeting comes as questions are being asked about US President-elect Donald Trump’s support for Ukraine after he said he could end the war “in one day”.
Macron personally invited the prime minister, to mark the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between France and the UK, which paved the way for greater diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.
The statement said the two leaders had reaffirmed their commitment to “support Ukraine unwaveringly and for as long as necessary to thwart Russia’s war of aggression”.
A further statement from Downing Street said the pair discussed how to put Ukraine in “the strongest possible position going into the winter”.
There were no details on whether the two leaders would support allowing Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russian territory.
The key decision-maker as far as London and Paris are concerned remains President Biden – who has so far have not given Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles against targets inside Russia, for fear of escalation.
Downing Street said “no war was ever won by a single weapon” when asked whether the UK was speaking to President Biden about the potential use of the missiles.
Credit: bbc.com
