Overview

• Macron’s three-day state visit, the first by an EU head of state since Brexit, opens with a formal address to Parliament followed by a state banquet at Windsor Castle
• The 37th Franco-British Summit in London will center on coordinated aid to Ukraine, including talks on a prospective reassurance force after a ceasefire
• London and Paris plan to discuss tougher measures to curb illegal Channel crossings, with the UK pressing for unilateral action and France viewing it as an EU-wide issue
• Both governments intend to deepen defence cooperation through joint military initiatives in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
• Underlying tensions over UK–US trade deals and strategies for engaging President Trump in Ukraine peace talks are set to surface despite public displays of unity