Starmer stays home as Macron flies to Cyprus to lead island’s defence | UK | News

While Sir Keir Starmer remained in London, Emmanuel Macron boarded a flight to Cyprus on Monday; This was the most visible sign yet of the growing gulf between France’s strong response to the Iran crisis and Britain’s hesitant response.

The French president landed in Paphos to meet with Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides and Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis; Paris framed the trip as a concrete demonstration of commitment to an EU ally under fire.

New Iranian drone attacks on Cyprus on Monday caused Macron to send the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean along with a frigate and air defense units. There are approximately 2,000 British service personnel and their families on the island.

The Elysee reportedly made the following statement: “This trip aims to show France’s solidarity with the European Union member Cyprus, with whom we have a strategic partnership.”

Macron is also said to have used the occasion to express France’s determination to keep shipping lanes open and said he would “emphasize the importance of guaranteeing freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, especially through the European Union’s naval operation Aspides.”

The Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint for attacks on commercial shipping since Washington and Tel Aviv launched their offensive against Tehran on February 28.

Europe fills the gap

According to the Daily Mail, France is not alone. It has been reported that Spain and the Netherlands have deployed frigates for the defense of Cyprus and are expected to dock with Britain’s HMS Dragon, whose ships are still days after being withdrawn for maintenance. Italy also launched a warship into the water.

Cyprus government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis welcomed the tripartite summit as a chance to demonstrate the “high level of coordination” between Nicosia, Athens and Paris, while also drawing attention to the parallel contribution of Italy.

Macron’s diplomatic effort has gone beyond Cyprus. In his meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, he underlined that France’s air assets in the region were working “for the benefit of Qatar”, adding, according to the report: “Qatar and France share the same conviction: Beyond the noise of gunfire, lasting stability for all must come through de-escalation and negotiation.”

The Express also understands that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has reached out to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev after a drone crashed into the country, which borders Iran, raising fears that the conflict in the Middle East could spread to the Caucasus. Macron told Aliyev that he had the “support and solidarity” of France.

Healey ducks for protection

The most important contribution Britain has made to Cyprus so far was the visit of Defense Minister John Healey, who came to RAF Akrotiri with the Guardian journalist. A Wildcat helicopter touched down Friday, but Healey’s journey was overshadowed when drone sirens forced him to take cover; This is a vivid example of the threat the base still faces.

Sunday evening brought another strike. A drone penetrated the environment and damaged the runway and hangar. Nicosia attributed the attack to Iran-backed Hezbollah opening fire from southern Lebanon; The intended targets are believed to be American bombers operating in a separate section of the facility.

Healey reportedly refused to rule out the possibility of British forces becoming more deeply involved in the US-Israeli offensive, but also declined to speculate what future commitments might look like.

Russian fingerprints

According to the report, an examination of the debris of the drone attack on Sunday revealed that the weapon contained Russian military components. The recovered hardware was sent to a laboratory in the UK for further analysis.

The finding fits a broader pattern. Three sources with access to relevant intelligence told the Washington Post that Moscow is engaged in what it describes as a “fairly comprehensive effort” to provide Tehran with information about the whereabouts of American military assets in the region.

The Express reported that Britain’s chief of defense staff, Sir Richard Knighton, said he had “no doubts” about Russia sharing intelligence with Iran. Trump took the opposite view, emphasizing that he had received “no indication” of such activity. “If so, they’re not doing a very good job, because Iran is not doing very well,” he said.

Moscow’s ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, told Sky News on Saturday that Russia was “not neutral” in the conflict and “continues to support Iran”, saying there was little point in pretending otherwise.