Macron Visits Britain: Speech and Summit to Support Ukraine and Immigration

French President Emmanuel Macron begins an official state visit to the United Kingdom on Tuesday, lasting three days, in a historic move as the first European leader to visit Britain since its exit from the European Union in 2016.

Invited by King Charles III, Macron is accompanied by his wife Brigitte during the visit, where they are scheduled to be received with an official ceremony including a royal banquet at Windsor Castle, and they will stay there throughout the visit.

Macron will also lay flowers on the grave of Queen Elizabeth II at St. George's Chapel.

The visit comes at a critical time in international relations, as Macron is set to deliver an official speech to the British Parliament on Tuesday as well, becoming the first French president to address the British Parliament since both Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand, according to Buckingham Palace.

The visit concludes on Thursday with an anticipated bilateral summit between Macron and the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as part of the 37th French-British summit, focusing on three main axes:

Supporting Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, especially amidst the halt of some American arms shipments, stopping irregular migration across the English Channel, a pressing political issue in the UK, and enhancing defense cooperation between Paris and London to counter increasing European threats.

In the context of efforts to strengthen the European front supporting Ukraine, Macron and Starmer will lead an expanded meeting including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, to discuss ways to support Kyiv, including deploying a "reassuring force" after a potential ceasefire, according to the Élysée statement.

The statement noted that the summit will focus on aligning defense agreements with the "fundamentally changing strategic landscape," without revealing further details.

Regarding immigration, London seeks to halt the flow of migrant boats across the English Channel, a matter that has put increasing pressure on the government from the far right.

France, on the other hand, recently announced that it is considering banning the departure of small boats from its shores, despite the legal and diplomatic controversy surrounding this step.

Britain received widespread praise for a video showing French police intercepting a boat carrying migrants before it reached the British side.

Macron's visit marks a pivotal moment in French-British relations, especially coming after years of tension between the two countries following Brexit during Conservative rule.

However, relations have significantly improved since the Labour government led by Keir Starmer took power, as he seeks to rekindle relations with Europe.

The Élysée Palace emphasized that the visit carries great symbolism, being the "first state visit by a European Union leader to Britain since Brexit," and also the first since Starmer spoke of a "reset" in relations with the continent.

Macron's visit follows a state visit by King Charles to France in 2023, which was described as successful and contributed to improving bilateral relations.

It is worth noting that Nicolas Sarkozy was the last French president to make a state visit to Britain in 2008.