Sir Keir Starmer will begin what is likely to be his final full week as Prime Minister with a trip to Paris, where he will attend a meeting of the coalition of the willing to discuss continued support for Ukraine's defence and join Bastille Day commemorative events.
The outgoing Labour leader has faced criticism during his tenure for the amount of time spent on diplomatic missions overseas, with detractors labelling him “never here Keir”. A Downing Street spokeswoman confirmed the itinerary: “The Prime Minister will travel to Paris on Monday for a meeting of the coalition of the willing to discuss continued support for Ukraine’s defence. On Tuesday, he will join Bastille Day commemorative events with other leaders.”
Coalition of the Willing and Ukraine Support
The coalition of the willing is an initiative established by Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron to bring together countries willing to provide security support to Ukraine in the event of an end to hostilities. Sir Keir’s backing for Volodymyr Zelensky’s country has been a cornerstone of his foreign policy while in office.
Sir Keir was in Turkey for the NATO summit earlier this week, where he participated in discussions on collective defence. At the close of that summit, he remarked: “To be able to represent our country both at home and on the international stage is a huge privilege.”
Transition of Power
Sir Keir Starmer is set to step aside as Prime Minister in a few weeks following his resignation. Andy Burnham is expected to become Labour leader unopposed in a week’s time and will then assume the role of Prime Minister on July 20. The Paris trip marks a significant moment as Starmer prepares to hand over leadership.
