Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has begun his three-day visit to the United Kingdom, taking place from July 8 to 10, 2025. This visit is significant, as Macron is the first French president to visit the United Kingdom since 2008, and also the first EU leader to arrive in Britain after Brexit in 2020.
On July 8, together with his wife Brigitte, Macron visited Windsor Castle – one of the official residences of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The president also visited Westminster Abbey, where more than 30 British monarchs are buried.
That evening, Macron addressed the British Parliament, discussing important topics such as the situation in Palestine, Iran, Brexit, and the war in Ukraine. He emphasized the need to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, comparing current events to Germany’s invasion of France during World War II.
“Every time Vladimir Putin’s Russia advances in Ukraine, the threat draws closer to all of us. We will never accept that might makes right. We will never abandon Ukraine.”
On July 9, Macron plans to hold a series of meetings at Imperial College focused on environmental issues, culture (at the British Museum), and the development of artificial intelligence. Imperial College is one of the leading educational institutions in the United Kingdom.
On July 10, a UK-France summit will take place with the participation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and representatives from both governments. In the evening, Macron and Starmer will visit the Northwood military base, where they will hold a “coalition of the willing” meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz joining online.
During the three-day visit, a number of important issues are expected to be discussed, including joint trade, rearmament, European security, illegal migration, Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, recognition of Palestine as a state, as well as Russia’s war against Ukraine and support for Kyiv.
The Élysée Palace emphasized that this visit is the first state visit by an EU country leader to the United Kingdom since Brexit was completed in 2020. It also continues Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s policy of rapprochement with the EU following the EU-UK summit held in May 2025.