Sir Keir Starmer to travel to Paris as military planning for Ukraine ramps up

Sir Keir will meet with Mr Macron and other leaders, who will be joined in Paris by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He confirmed he was attending yesterday at Prime Minister’s Questions, saying: “I shall meet President Macron in Paris to discuss further our efforts to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine.”

It comes as Russia and Ukraine have agreed to pause hostilities in the Black Sea for 30 days, however, there are signals that the US could be willing to ease some sanctions on Moscow as part of a deal.

A Number 10 spokesman declined to say whether the UK would follow any easing of sanctions, saying: “Our position at the moment is that we are obviously hopeful of the progress.”

Heads of the British and French armies, navies, and air forces met in London this week, as part of ongoing military preparations for the coalition of the willing, as well as the head of both countries’ defence forces.

Defence Secretary John Healey said this was a response to the “challenge” laid down by the US, that European nations needed to do more to provide their own security.

Mr Healey’s comments came after the US Signal group chat blunder revealed vice president JD Vance hated “bailing Europe out” and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said “European freeloading” was “pathetic”.

The comments in the chat, which inadvertently included a journalist from The Atlantic, were related to US strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen but come against a backdrop of Mr Trump’s drive to end the war in Ukraine and pull back from commitments in Europe.

Asked how he felt about being called a pathetic freeloader, Mr Healey said: “I regard it more as a challenge.”

He added: “The Americans have absolutely got a case that on defence spending, on European security, on our support for Ukraine, European nations can and will do more, and the UK is leading the way.”

The UK and France have been leading efforts to convene a group of nations who would contribute to defending a peace deal if one is reached, however US special envoy Steve Witkoff has dismissed the plans for a “coalition of the willing” as “a posture and a pose”.

However, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, chief of the defence staff, said: “The combined convening power of Britain and France is immense.

“The political leadership of Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron is reflected in the military planning that is now under way between our respective staffs as we draw together a coalition of the willing from Europe and beyond.”