By Andrew MacAskill
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday to discuss ways to help Ukraine, after the election of Donald Trump has raised concerns of reduced U.S. support for the war against Russia.
Days after Trump was elected to begin a second term as U.S. president in January, Starmer will travel to France, where he will talk with Macron and also become the first British leader to attend French Armistice Day services since World War Two.
Starmer and Macron will discuss “Russia’s ongoing barbaric invasion of Ukraine and the appalling humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Downing Street said.
Trump has criticised the level of U.S. support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia since the 2022 full-scale invasion and has promised to end the conflict without explaining how.
Britain and France have said it is essential to keep supporting Ukraine against Russia to protect the European continent as a whole.
Europe has been the biggest provider of aid to Ukraine, allocating 118 billion euros ($126 billion) since the start of the conflict, while the United States has provided 85 billion euros in total, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Britain and the European Union are expected to begin talks next year on a post-Brexit security pact, covering areas such as defence and energy cooperation, as they look to take more responsibility for their own security.
Some European politicians have said Europe cannot replace the financial and military aid from the United States, including military resources such as F-16 fighter jets and Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).
On his visit to France, Starmer is scheduled to meet the new French Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The meeting will be their first since Barnier became prime minister in September.
The last British leader to attend the French Armistice Day commemorations was Winston Churchill, who was hosted by Charles de Gaulle in 1944, Starmer’s office said.
($1 = 0.9330 euros)
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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