King meets with UK and French military top brass at Windsor

The King with the joint chiefs of staff of the UK and France at Windsor Castle (Aaron Chown/PA) - (PA Wire)

The King has met with the UK and France’s top military leaders at Windsor Castle.

Charles, who is head of the British armed forces, held an audience with the joint chiefs of staff from both countries on Monday afternoon.

He welcomed the 10 guests including Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and his French counterpart General Thierry Burkhard to the royal residence’s White Drawing Room in Berkshire, where they posed for a group photo.

The French military chiefs, the King and the UK’s military leaders during the audience at Windsor Castle (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

The meeting came as Western military planning to enforce a potential ceasefire in Ukraine intensified in London, with discussions between the British and French military chiefs.

Sir Tony, the head of the UK’s armed forces, said Europe’s two nuclear powers were “stepping up to forge a stronger and deeper partnership”.

Alongside the heads of each nation’s army, navy and air force, Sir Tony and General Burkhard have discussed efforts to “galvanise” the European response to the situation in Ukraine – while Ukrainian, Russian and American officials attended talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at achieving a ceasefire.

Also at Windsor with the King were Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Dame Sharon Nesmith, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sir Ben Key, Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker and Air Marshal Allan Marshall.

And from the French forces were French Army Chief of Staff General Pierre Schill, French Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force General Jerome Bellanger, along with General Stephane Abrial.

Downing Street said on Friday that “nothing is off the table” over possible troop deployment for Kyiv.

Sir Keir Starmer said new military sub-planning groups would continue talks during ‘three intensive planning days’ this week (Chris Radburn/PA) (PA Wire)

“Thousands” of personnel would be required to support any operation whether by “sea, on land or in the air” as allies prepare “for all eventualities” amid diplomatic efforts to end the war, Number 10 said.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said new military sub-planning groups would continue talks during “three intensive planning days” this week, in a call with EU chiefs and non-EU countries on Friday.

Operational planning for a European-led peacekeeping force in Ukraine is set to continue at the UK’s military headquarters in Northwood this week.