No 10 denies rift after Macron speaks to Putin before the PM

EMMANUEL MACRON has spoken to Vladimir Putin before Boris Johnson after his election victory, as Downing Street denies a fallout between the European allies.

The re-elected French president urged the Russian leader yesterday to order an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, according to Russian media.

He has still not spoken to Boris Johnson after securing a second term, reigniting suggestions of a rift.

Mr Johnson’s spokesman insisted that the Prime Minister was not concerned about being behind Mr Putin in the pecking order. “We’ll update you in the normal way when they speak,” the spokesman said.

“You will know that they’ve spoken on a regular basis. Macron was obviously re-elected, so it’s a slightly different situation to having a new world leader, but I’m sure they will speak in due course.”

The official said that “we maintain a strong relationship with France, and that is evidenced by the joint action we are taking against Putin in Ukraine”.

Last week, Lord Peter Ricketts, the UK’S former ambassador to Paris, said: “The relationship between Johnson and Macron is basically broken. Macron doesn’t trust him. He doesn’t think he’s serious.”

Mr Johnson did post a congratulatory message on Twitter, saying: “France is one of our closest and most important allies. I look forward to continuing to work together on the issues which matter most.”

The two have had a strained relationship in the past year after the UK struck a nuclear submarine deal with Australia and the US, which caused the Australians to scrap a previous French-designed deal, costing £45 billion. However, commentators have suggested the UK will now be able to enjoy a more constructive relationship with Élysée Palace.