Macron, Starmer try for last time to persuade US to strike Russia

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are expected to plot a last-ditch attempt to thwart Donald Trump’s efforts to scale back US support for Ukraine, Report informs via The Telegraph.

The British and French leaders will discuss on Monday whether Joe Biden, the US president, can be persuaded to give Ukraine permission to fire Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia, according to UK Government insiders.

The Telegraph has been told there are hopes in London that Mr Biden will finally give the approval Kyiv has sought for months in an attempt to secure his foreign policy legacy.

Talks will take place in Paris as Sir Keir becomes the first UK leader to attend the Armistice Day ceremony in the city since Winston Churchill in 1944.

The knock-on impact of the impending Trump presidency on the Middle East and the possibility of a trade war with Europe are also expected to be discussed.

The efforts come as world leaders attempt to work out how drastically Trump, who won the US election last week, intends to change US policy on Ukraine.

Trump talked about ending the Ukraine war on “day one” throughout his presidential campaign, leading to fears he will force Kyiv to accept land lost to Russia.

A senior Whitehall source said: “We are very keen to make sure we can make the most of the time between now and Jan 20 [when Trump becomes US president] and not just put everything on hold until the next administration.”

Another source said Biden was expected to “turn on the taps” by handing over more financial aid owed to Kyiv in the weeks before he leaves the White House.

Fears surrounding Trump’s plans for Ukraine were fuelled over the weekend with news that Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley, two pro-Ukraine former cabinet members in his first administration, would not be given positions this time round.

Donald Trump Jr, the president-elect’s son, said there is no place in his father’s administration for “war hawks”, in another sign a stark change in approach could be coming.

In a post on Instagram on Saturday, he posted a video appearing to mock Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukraine’s president, over losing his American “allowance” when his father returns to the White House.

In the clip, Zelenskyy looks unhappy alongside Trump with the caption: “POV: You’re 38 days from losing your allowance.”