Starmer and Macron discuss NATO at Armistice Day ceremony in Paris

LONDON– British Prime Minister Keir Starmer traveled to Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron to take part in French Armistice Day celebrations. He became the first British leader to do so since Winston Churchill in 1944.

Before the ceremony, the two leaders had a bilateral meeting where they reflected on the close bond between France and Britain and discussed key foreign policy issues, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to Downing Street.

The meeting comes less than a week after Donald Trump was re-elected in the United States. Trump boasted of his “very good relations” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and described NATO as “outdated,” at odds with Britain and France's stated goals of strengthening NATO and supporting Ukraine.

The joint Armistice Day ceremony symbolizes “the close and enduring friendship between Britain and France,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

In Paris, the two heads of state received French and British veterans and representatives of veterans' organizations at the ambassador's residence to thank them for their service.

Starmer and Macron visited the Arc de Triomphe, where they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to mark the 106th anniversary of Armistice Day.

“It is an honor to be in Paris to join President Macron in remembering the fallen of the First World War who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy today,” said Starmer, who was accompanied by Macron himself to the ceremony was invited.

Armistice Day celebrates the agreement that ended the First World War on November 11, 1918.

Starmer has also pledged £10 million to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe and the end of the Second World War in Japan next year.

The Prime Minister's Office said that preparations for the commemoration events had already begun.