Trump, right, and Srarmer
Trump dominates talks with Starmer
The talks happened in an extraordinary couple of hours.
The United Kingdom Prime Minister, Keir Starmer left Washington on Thursday’s night relieved. His team acknowledged that they had prepared hard, but didn’t have the faintest idea how it might go.
They do seem to have established an unlikely warmth and connection between the two leaders. There weren’t any flashpoints, or excruciating moments that are always possible with President Trump. And of course there will be that big state visit to come.
On Ukraine though, these are the highlights of the potentials for division.
The president saying that he thinks that there is already something amounting to a backstop, because there will be an American presence in Ukraine as part of this minerals deal that is due to be signed tomorrow.
But it doesn’t look certain yet that Britain and Europe are necessarily convinced that will amount to enough.
Indeed, a letter from King Charles immediately set a warm tone to discussions between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump at the White House today, with the pair seemingly heading towards agreements on a number of issues.
Trump joked that Starmer had “worked hard” over lunch to try and convince him not to implement tariffs on the UK, before saying that he envisages a trade deal with the UK without the threat of tariffs attached.
On Ukraine, the US president told reporters that he thinks a ceasefire agreement with Russia will be agreed “soon” or “won’t be at all”.
Peace in Gaza was also on the agenda, and the pair agreed that a deal for long lasting peace can be the only solution in the region.
Starmer pledged to boost defence spending just before heading across the Atlantic, and he earned praise from Trump for it.
On the Chagos Islands deal, Trump suggested he is “inclined to go along with” it should the UK present a plan to him.
Tomorrow, it’s Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s turn to visit the White House.
He’s in Washington to sign a minerals deal. Trump appeared to set the tone for friendlier discussions after rowing back on an earlier declaration that Zelensky is a “dictator”.
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