British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris today to discuss how they can best combine military resources within the Indo-Pacific region.

With this being the first bilateral Franco-British summit in five years, it’s starting to look like the speed-mountain that was Brexit has finally been overcome (somewhat), and Britain is looking to re-develop a grown-up relationship with its partners.

With support for Ukraine on the table, and the need to show strength in the face of the Kremlin menace, we will also see discussions on how support for our eastern European ally can be reinforced and streamlined.

But most importantly, there will likely be discussions on how both states can ensure a permanent presence in the Indo-Pacific in coordination with European allies, how to set up bases of operations, and how to coordinate deployments.

One option, for example, would be for European warships to be permanently deployed in the region, likely through an alternation of Aircraft carriers such as the French Charles de Gaulle or the British Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales carriers.

Sunak’s team made it clear to reporters that Britain, France and her allies had to focus on the region due to the interlink with our own continental security and our “privileged role as defenders of European and global security.”

“[Europe’s security] is indivisible from Indo-Pacific security, so the U.K. will work together to increase our shared presence in the region, and coordinate our efforts to increase stability and respond to the challenge posed by China.”

He then built upon this rhetoric, arguing that, from a historical point of view, this relationship is existential:

“Our deep history, our proximity and our shared global outlook mean that a firm partnership between the U.K. and France is not just valuable, it is essential. …As we face new and unprecedented threats, it is vital that we fortify the structures of our alliances so we are ready to take on the challenges of the future.”

Other topics on the agenda include strengthening NATO, reviewing current and future joint defence project plans, and providing training for Ukrainian marines. There will also likely be discussions on developing joint development plans for next-generation military equipment and weaponry, such as long-range missiles, which will help bolster NATO’s defences.

While the topic of immigration and the British boogeyman, small boats, will undoubtedly be on the agenda, a major deal will not emerge from this discussion.

Rebuilding Trust

Crisis after crisis has damaged the Franco-German relationship, with the violent rhetoric of pro-Brexit politicians, factional behaviour in the global geopolitical arena, and the violent betrayal and sabotage of the Franco-Australian submarine deal.

The relationship took a beating, with France also having been frozen out of the AUKUS alliance despite its territories within the Indo-Pacific and strong presence. There needs to be genuine work to re-establish the goodwill that was destroyed.

How much support the UK will be able to provide to French efforts to strengthen European Strategic Autonomy in the realm of military affairs, and how willing it is to work with Europeans as a trusted actor.

Sunak must also prove that British politics has overcome a seemingly overriding need to prioritise domestic point scoring and is ready to work constructively with European partners.

Without a concrete and durable rebuilding of this trust, any efforts to coordinate against Russia and, in the long term, China's economic, intellectual, and even physical conquests will be impossible to maintain efficiently and could easily be undermined.

There needs to be stronger coordination between not only France and the UK, but also the wider European Union. Even with NATO, the direction of travel is clearly going towards a stronger level of interoperability and cooperation between Europeans.

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