Free Republic

Less than three years ago Liz Truss, not yet British prime minister, could not decide whether Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, was a “friend or foe”. Her predecessor, Boris Johnson, mocked French diplomatic protest at AUKUS, a submarine deal that cut out France, with a flippant “Donnez-moi un break!” Today Britain and France have put such theatrical rivalry behind them. As Sir Keir Starmer, the current prime minister, and Mr Macron jointly take the lead on Europe’s effort to salvage support for Ukraine, the Anglo-French tie seems more solid than it has for many years.

Sir Keir Starmer has declared a 'coalition of the willing' is ready to enforce a peace deal in Ukraine and help deter future Russian attacks. The Prime Minister this weekend said those countries signed up to his peacekeeping blueprint would 'intensify' their planning 'with real urgency'. He added he was ready to commit British 'boots on the ground and planes in the air' as he called on Europe to 'do the heavy lifting' in support of Kyiv. It follows suggestions that UK troops could form part of a 30,000-strong European peacekeeping force within Ukraine. RAF Typhoons might also be deployed...

Foreign state actors may be amplifying online disinformation that has fuelled a week of riots on the streets of Britain, Downing Street has suggested. Russian state media were among those sharing false claims that the suspect accused of killing three young girls in Southport last Monday was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat. Channel3Now, which purports to be a legitimate American news outlet but acts as an “aggregator” for fake claims, wrongly named the attacker as Ali Al-Shakati, believed to be a fictitious name. The subsequent unrest has prompted calls for greater efforts...