During a press conference with President Trump, British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer said Thursday that his country is ready to put “boots” “on the ground” to support Ukraine’s peace deal, as he said his country has a “very good productive visit.”
Achieving lasting peace in Ukraine and ending a full-scale Russian invasion has been the top of his priorities and Trump’s agenda on his first visit to the White House since Trump took office on Thursday.
“We discussed today about plans to reach tough and fair peace. Ukraine helps to shape it. It is supported by strength and will stop Putin from coming back for more,” Starmer said. “I work closely with other European leaders on this because the UK is the only way to continue peace, working with our allies to put their boots on the ground and put planes in the air.”
Trump called his priorities “very strict negotiators.” On his part, he calls his visit “very good and very productive” and focuses on the roots of Trump’s family in Scotland.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
The words of reconciliation were in contrast to the greater disagreement they had, especially in the war in Ukraine. Trump, who is broken with many European allies, called Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelenki a “dictator,” but refused to give Russian President Vladimir Putin the same label.
Presence said the two are working to end the “wild” war in Ukraine.
“It’s not peace to give an invader a prize,” Starmer said.
But the star, perhaps a concession to Trump, said the UK will give Ukraine more aid this year than in other years past, and will increase its defense spending as part of its gross domestic product, also known as GDP.
Trump believes progress is being made to end the Russian-Ukraine war, and said the agreement is “very close or none at all.”
Priority said the US and the UK will cooperate in a lasting peace agreement in Ukraine.
The British Prime Minister also said the two governments will work to reach economic transactions between the two countries. Trump said Starme tried to persuade him not to impose tariffs on imports from the UK
“He made whatever hell they paid him there,” Trump said wisely.
Trump said there is a “great opportunity” to “reach a trade contract” that “no tariffs are needed.”
Trump accepts invitation to visit the UK “in the near future”
Trump said Thursday he would visit the UK “in the near future” and accept an invitation from King Charles to visit the state.
“It’s a great honor to have a prime minister in an oval office,” Trump said. “It’s a very special place, he’s a special person. And Britain is great. This is a great country. I know very well. Both leaders emphasized the “special relationship” between the two countries that were forged during World War II.
Trump said the president will discuss Russia and Ukraine in search of an end to the war when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump was called the “Dictator” of Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelenki, but was called the Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelenki to give the same label to Russia’s Vladimir Pasin.
“Did I say that?” Trump said he was asked to repeat Zelensky’s characterization. “I can’t believe I said that. Next question.”
According to room reporters, the priority thanked Trump for changing the conversation in Ukraine, saying he believes he can achieve a “historic deal.”
But Trump opposed previous assessments that there was a boon to the risk that Putin could break into Ukraine again, saying he believed he would follow his words after Putin reached the deal.
“No, I don’t think so,” Trump said. “When we do a trade, I think it’s going to be a trade.”
“I think he’ll keep his words,” Trump said, calling it a “trust and verification” situation.
“We had to go through the Russian hoax together. That wasn’t a good thing,” Trump said.
Trump said he would check if there were parts of Ukraine filmed by Russia that he had not identified but could be returned to Ukraine.
“There are many areas where it was filmed,” Trump said. “Yeah, we talked about it. A lot of the sea lines were filmed, and we’ll talk about it, and then we’ll see if we can get it back, or if we can get it back for Ukraine.”
Trump said the two will also discuss trade as they are leviing new tariffs on allies and enemies.
Prior to the meeting, Starmer said the US and the UK “want to win a new partnership. We share our view that our best days are ahead.”
“It’s not my style to take out a chainsaw, but we’re removing deficits and bureaucracy,” he said. “We are reducing barriers to reform, permitting, building things, investing and growth. And we are open for business, open for investment, and we are determined to help innovators thrive in the UK.”
Priority presented the president with a letter from King Charles, which Trump read in real time. Trump called the British king “a beautiful man and a wonderful man.”
Collective security via the UK, US and NATO
Priorities were empty-handed and didn’t arrive in Washington. He jumped into the wing of an announcement that his government had planned to raise UK defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of current GDP by 2027. The priorities open up to 3% the chances that its defensive spending will rise further after the next UK general election.
The timing of the Prime Minister’s announcement was notable, coming just two days before his meeting with Trump. White House officials said the Trump administration is “very happy” with the announcement of priorities, but hopes that the US NATO allies will increase their defensive spending further towards 5% of their respective nations’ GDP. That reached about 3.4% of US GDP in 2023, proportional to the US spending on defense.
Trump implies that the United States can break away from NATO’s historic collective defense agreement known as Article 5. This essentially states that if other member states do not support defence spending, if members are attacked, they will be treated as an attack on everyone.
“I think that means you need security guarantees,” Starge said. Commitment to protect Ukraine Against future Russian attacks if a ceasefire reaches a ceasefire to halt the ongoing war. “We’ve shown we’re in a full role. I don’t think we’ll stop Putin otherwise, so we need our support. We’re working on that. I’ve had a wide discussion about it.”
White House officials appreciated the privileged willingness to consider sending British troops to support peacekeeping efforts to enforce potential peace deals between Russia and Ukraine, but Trump made it clear that all Ukraine security guarantees may have to come from Europe.
“I’m not going to do that much beyond security guarantees,” Trump said this week. “We’re going to let Europe do that because we’re talking. Europe is their neighbors, but we’ll make sure everything goes well.”
US UK trade
Trump’s tariff threat was also on the agenda during Thursday’s White House meeting. twenty five% All steel and aluminum tariffs The imported into the US is scheduled to begin on March 12th, and he said Trump ordered it to protect American businesses. Priority may require exemptions.
Mr Trump It was hinted a few weeks ago If that doesn’t happen, there is concern that a one-sided trade agreement could work with the UK, which could result in the loss of some of the estimated 40,000 UK jobs directly related to steel and aluminum production, and the entire plant could be shut down.
After Starme meets with Trump, he is scheduled to meet in London with several European leaders on Sunday, including heads of state in Germany, Italy and Poland. The priorities will undoubtedly be brief to them about their meeting with the US President.
Ukrainian President Voldymeierzelensky can join after meeting Trump in Washington on Friday. He is expected to sign a financial agreement to share his country’s mineral wealth with Washington, which Trump has called a “recovery” to Ukraine for the past three years.
more
