French President Emmanuel Macron is set to begin a landmark three-day state visit to the United Kingdom on Tuesday.

Invited by King Charles III, President Macron’s visit is the first by a European Union head of state since Brexit and is viewed as a key moment in the UK’s efforts to rebuild relations with Europe under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government. The visit will include a formal state banquet at Windsor Castle and high-level political talks in London.

Macron is scheduled to address both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, following in the footsteps of iconic French leaders such as Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand. Accompanied by his wife, Brigitte Macron, the French president will also pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II by laying flowers at her tomb in St George’s Chapel.

The centerpiece of the visit will be the 37th Franco-British Summit, co-chaired by Macron and Starmer on Thursday. Top of the agenda will be reinforcing defense collaboration in light of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and tackling the politically sensitive issue of illegal Channel crossings.

The summit will also feature talks with key European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Discussions will focus on bolstering Kyiv’s military defenses—particularly following a recent halt in U.S. weapons shipments—and exploring the deployment of a European-led “reassurance force” in Ukraine once a ceasefire is in place. Leaders are expected to press for an unconditional ceasefire after Russia launched its most extensive missile and drone attack on Ukraine to date.

Migration is another critical topic, especially amid rising domestic pressure in the UK to curb small boat crossings. British officials are urging France to take stronger preventive measures, while French authorities are reportedly considering enhanced coastal interventions. The British government recently welcomed video footage showing French police intercepting a migrant boat before departure.

The Élysée Palace described the visit as an opportunity to solidify a “strategic realignment” between the two nations, praising a notable warming of relations under Starmer’s leadership compared to the strained dynamics during previous Conservative governments. Macron’s visit follows King Charles III’s 2023 state visit to France and is the first by a French president to the UK since Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008.

As both nations face shifting geopolitical realities, the visit symbolizes a renewed commitment to European unity, defense cooperation, and pragmatic dialogue on mutual challenges. (ILKHA)