French President Emmanuel Macron is set to outpace his American counterpart, Donald Trump, with a state visit to the United Kingdom planned for next month, as reported by The Sunday Times.
Macron has received an invitation for this visit, which is expected to take place at the end of the month. Specific details remain undisclosed, but it marks his first state visit to the UK.
The British government has also extended an invitation to US President Donald Trump, although he isn’t expected to visit London until September. Trump previously undertook a state visit to the UK in 2019 during his first term. A second invitation to a US president is considered unprecedented.
The Sunday Times highlights that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is keen to strengthen ties with Europe, focusing on enhanced trade relations and defence collaboration. Starmer and Macron are leading a coalition of willing countries to bolster Ukraine’s security. On 19 May, Starmer will also host an EU-UK summit in London.
The British Prime Minister has repeatedly emphasised that it is possible to simultaneously pursue stronger ties with Europe and the United States.
