British Troops to March in Paris Bastille Day Parade Alongside Forces from Nearly 30 Countries

British forces will march and fly in France's Bastille Day parade in Paris on July 14, the first such participation in over 20 years. Soldiers from the Grenadier Guards will march paired with France's 1er Régiment de la Garde Républicaine under the Bonds of Friendship initiative.

Royal Navy officer cadets from Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth will march with French counterparts from Écoles Navale near Brest.

A single RAF F-35 will fly alongside French Rafales in the flypast. A British A400M will fly in formation with two French A400Ms and a German A400M. Forces from nearly 30 countries will take part in the event on the Champs Élysées.

Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will attend the parade during his final week in office. He will also meet other leaders for a Coalition of the Willing session focused on Ukraine support. The coalition was created in Paris by the French government in collaboration with the UK and includes over 30 nations.

Starmer announced that the UK will join the EU's €90 billion loan to Ukraine for urgent defence costs. British firms will be eligible to bid for contracts funded by the loan. "This agreement will help ensure Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression, while backing British defence companies, supporting skilled jobs and strengthening our national security," he said.

The coalition agreed to jointly develop a new anti-ballistic missile system as a cheaper alternative to the US Patriot system. Leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and Britain issued a joint statement on the project.