
Macron to visit UK as London seeks closer EU ties
A major focus of the visit will be the 37th Franco-British Summit, where Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer will discuss support for Ukraine, joint defence initiatives, and measures to curb illegal Channel crossings.
The visit reflects warming relations between Paris and London under the UK's new centre-left government, and a shared commitment to greater European cooperation.

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Arabian Post
12 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Putin Asserts Russia Fueled US Founding, Claims Historic Support
President Vladimir Putin has asserted that Russia provided crucial support to the American colonists during their fight against Great Britain, claiming it supplied weapons and financial assistance to back their independence struggle. Speaking in a phone conversation with former President Donald Trump, Putin described Russia's involvement as part of an 'actual' effort to help the fledgling United States. Putin's declaration places the spotlight on historical narratives amid intensifying geopolitical narratives. Analysts are swiftly assessing the veracity of the claim and its broader implications, while US historians emphasise that formal ties between Russia and the American colonies did not exist prior to the Revolution. No documented material support or diplomatic recognition of that era substantiate relationships between the two nations at that point. The Kremlin's narrative asserts that Russia aligned itself with the revolutionary cause by offering weapons shipments and financial support. Putin's phrasing suggested a structured engagement, though detractors argue that he misreads chronology—Russia, as an empire led by Catherine the Great, entered diplomatic relations with the United States only after the Treaty of Paris in 1783. That timing places any official Russian involvement after formal independence was already declared, challenging his claim. ADVERTISEMENT Western historians note that military aid from European powers—most notably France and Spain—was instrumental in the American victory, while Russia's role has remained nominal or symbolic at most. 'There is no credible evidence that Russia supported the revolution with arms or money during the conflict,' says one academic familiar with 18th‑century European diplomacy. Putin's remarks come amid a broader tendency to recast historical events to underpin modern foreign policy, a strategy that has been applied in other contexts such as Ukraine. Earlier statements by the Kremlin have portrayed Ukraine as historically inseparable from Russia—a narrative used to justify recent territorial actions. The present claim similarly elevates Russia's historical role in world affairs. American experts caution that shifting the origin story of US independence to include Russian intervention may serve as an effort to recalibrate the ideological balance between Moscow and Washington. 'It's propaganda aimed at repositioning Russia as an essential player in the birth of the West's oldest democracy,' says one US diplomatic historian. Fact‑checkers underline that during the American Revolution Russia maintained neutrality, engaged in diplomatic management through the League of Armed Neutrality, and did not provide weapons to the colonists. France's material and military contributions remain well‑documented, alongside loans extended by Spain, but no comparable evidence exists for Russian support at that time. In Moscow, state‑controlled media echoed Putin's framing as validation of Russia's longstanding, though subtle, influence in shaping Western institutions. Kremlin spokespeople emphasised that the president's comments were meant to underscore Russian diplomacy's historical roots. Western capitals, however, have responded with measured scepticism. The State Department declined to address the specific claims, noting that America's founding documents were produced with French assistance, whereas Russian engagement began officially only after independence. The telephonic exchange with Trump also revisited themes from Putin's televised 2024 interview, where he alleged CIA control over US elites and denounced NATO expansion. The latest narrative underscores persistent themes in Putin's foreign policy discourse: challenging Western historical narratives and asserting Russia's central role on the global stage. Observers now turn to whether this claim will surface in educational materials or diplomatic exchanges, particularly as relations between Russia and the West remain strained. Critics argue that historical distortion can inflame nationalistic sentiment and reshape political memory, while advocates for Russia's narrative maintain it is correcting incomplete historical accounts. With US political discourse increasingly sensitive to disinformation, the assertion stands to prompt fact‑based counter‑narratives. Historians focused on transatlantic studies anticipate a renewed analysis of archival records that could definitively confirm or reject any undocumented Russian involvement.


Gulf Today
15 hours ago
- Gulf Today
British police arrest over 20 for backing Palestine Action
British police arrested over 20 people on suspicion of terrorism offences after they showed support for the newly banned Palestine Action group in London on Saturday, hours after the proscription came into effect. The government moved to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws last month after its activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged two planes in protest against what the group said was Britain's support for Israel. Late on Friday, the campaign lost an urgent appeal against the parliamentary vote to proscribe it as a terrorist organisation, with the ban coming into force from midnight. Under UK laws, offences include inviting support, expressing approval, or displaying symbols of a banned group and are punishable by up to 14 years in prison and/or a fine. Britain has proscribed 81 groups under anti-terrorism laws, including Hamas, Al Qaeda and Daesh. On Saturday, supporters gathered in Parliament Square in Westminster, some holding placards that said "I OPPOSE GENOCIDE. I SUPPORT PALESTINE ACTION." Sky News footage showed some being led away in handcuffs from a statue of Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi in the square, as they shouted their support. United Nations experts have accused Israel of carrying out "genocidal acts" against Palestinians in the conflict in Gaza, which began after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel has repeatedly dismissed such accusations. Violence decried Palestine Action has targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain in its protests, with interior minister Yvette Cooper saying that violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest and that the group's activities justify proscription. Critics of the decision, including some United Nations experts and civil liberties groups, have argued that damaging property does not amount to terrorism. At another protest on Saturday, five pro-Palestinian activists from the Youth Demand group were arrested after they threw red paint over US company Cisco's truck, which was participating in London's Pride parade, and glued themselves to the vehicle. The parade has since resumed, a separate police statement said. "Young people will not accept ... crimes against humanity," Youth Demand's statement – which did not mention Palestine Action – said. It added that its activists targeted Cisco's float as the company supplies "technology that is helping Israel." Cisco did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside of business hours.


Middle East Eye
18 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
UK re-establishes relations with Syria after 14 years
The UK has fully re-established relations with Syria 14 years after severing ties with the former government of Bashar al-Assad. Foreign Secretary David Lammy was photographed shaking hands with the country's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus. "The UK is re-establishing diplomatic relations because it is in our interests to support the new government to deliver their commitment to build a stable, more secure and prosperous future for all Syrians," Lammy said in a statement. Photos released by Sharaa's office also showed Lammy meeting Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. The presidency said they discussed "bilateral ties... and ways of strengthening cooperation, as well as regional and international developments". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Lammy said the UK wanted to back a stable Syria as a means of "reducing the risk of irregular migration, ensuring the destruction of chemical weapons" and "tackling the threat of terrorism". The British Foreign Office said the UK had also committed an extra $129m to provide "urgent humanitarian aid" and support Syria's reconstruction and countries hosting Syrian refugees. In December, after a brutal 14-year civil war, Sharaa's rebel forces, who had been in control of Idlib, toppled Damascus, ending the Assad dynasty. Assad fled with his family to Moscow. Sharaa was previously head of Syria's al-Qaeda affiliate and its successor organisation Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). HTS remains listed on the UK's proscribed organisations list as an "alternative name" for al-Qaeda, though the group was officially dissolved in January.