WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s call for greater American military support for Ukraine. Instead, Trump emphasized that a minerals agreement with Kyiv would be the key to ensuring Ukraine’s security against Russia.
During their first meeting since Trump began his second term, Starmer, eager to make a positive impression, praised Trump’s role in making peace in Ukraine possible. In the Oval Office, Starmer presented a letter of invitation from King Charles for a state visit, which Trump accepted, though a date has not yet been set.
However, underlying tensions over U.S.-Russia diplomacy and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine emerged in their private conversation. One major point of contention was Starmer’s argument that long-term peace in Ukraine could only be achieved through firm U.S. security guarantees—an argument that Trump largely dismissed.
“We are a backstop because we’ll be over there, we’ll be working,” Trump said, referencing the U.S.-Ukraine economic partnership. “We’re going to have a lot of people over there.”
Starmer is the latest European leader to meet Trump after French President Emmanuel Macron visited the White House earlier this week. Both leaders expressed differing views on the conflict, particularly regarding the pace of peace efforts. Trump expressed optimism about the progress of ceasefire negotiations, claiming they were moving “pretty rapidly” and suggesting Russian President Vladimir Putin might honor any agreement. “It will either happen fairly soon, or it won’t happen at all,” Trump stated.
During a joint press conference, Starmer cautioned, “We have to get it right. It can’t be peace that rewards the aggressor.”
Shocking Allies
Since taking office in January, Trump has surprised traditional U.S. allies in Europe with his warm rhetoric toward Putin, calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and demanding repayment for U.S. aid to Ukraine. On Thursday, however, Trump distanced himself from his previous “dictator” comment, stating that he maintains a good relationship with the Ukrainian leader.
Zelenskyy is expected to visit Washington on Friday to sign a deal with Trump on rare-earth minerals. The agreement, which Zelenskyy has linked to further U.S. support for Ukraine, is seen by Trump as a way to recoup American funds spent on Ukraine, although it includes no security guarantees for Kyiv.
Starmer, meanwhile, has indicated that the U.K. will increase defense spending and is expected to reassure Trump that Europe would provide security guarantees for Ukraine if peace talks with Russia succeed.
A senior Trump administration official expressed satisfaction with Starmer’s commitment to defense spending.
Putin’s Warning
On Thursday, Putin warned “Western elites” against undermining potential U.S.-Russia rapprochement, suggesting Moscow would use its diplomats and intelligence services to thwart such efforts. His comments appeared to target the European Union and the U.K.
Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has shaken up foreign and domestic policy norms, alarming allies by suggesting that the U.S. should take ownership of the Gaza Strip and by threatening trade tariffs against both friends and foes.
Trump also stated that the U.S. would reach a trade deal with Britain “very shortly,” following a comment from one of his aides about seeking “an economic relationship with the UK based on reciprocal and equal trade.”
In the Oval Office, Trump voiced dissatisfaction with U.S. trade relations with the European Union, a bloc Britain left in 2020. Starmer, however, pointed out that the U.S. has a trade surplus with the U.K. according to government data.
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who was also present at the meeting, said the leaders would discuss “infringements on free speech” in Britain that have impacted U.S. tech companies.
“We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom,” Starmer responded.
Friendly Relations
Trump and Starmer’s relationship started off on a positive note in September with a two-hour dinner at Trump Tower in New York. Starmer’s team described the atmosphere as warm, with Trump being a “gracious host.”
Like Macron, Starmer warned against rushing a peace deal with Russia that might exclude Ukraine or European countries, fearing it could lead to further instability in Europe, which would be detrimental to U.S. interests.
Starmer has expressed openness to British troops offering security guarantees to Ukraine but only in collaboration with other European nations and under the “right conditions.”
European countries are reportedly concerned about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. A senior U.S. official suggested that a ceasefire would ease European concerns, positioning their role as peacekeepers rather than combatants.
“The type of force depends very much on the political settlement that ends the war,” the official noted. “That’s part of what the leaders are going to discuss today.”
