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Starmer handed what he called a “really special” invitation to Trump from King Charles at the start of their talks in the White House on Western support for Ukraine during ceasefire talks with Russia
PM Keir Starmar with Donald Trump. (Photo: AFP)
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday invited Donald Trump to make a state visit to Britain and the US president said he would come in the “near future.”
Starmer handed what he called a “really special” invitation to Trump from King Charles at the start of their talks in the White House on Western support for Ukraine during ceasefire talks with Russia.
Starmer met Donald Trump to plead for a US “backstop” to any Ukraine ceasefire, insisting it would be the only way to deter Russia’s Vladimir Putin from invading again.
In their Oval Office meeting, Starmer will push Trump for US aerial surveillance and even air power to support peacekeepers that Britain and France are offering to deploy if the conflict ends.
But Trump has been wary of committing American resources, adding to concerns in Europe that the US president will abandon Kyiv and take Russia’s side in negotiations.
Starmer’s visit comes days after a similar visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, who came away effectively empty handed despite saying there had been a “turning point” with Trump.
“The security guarantee has to be sufficient to deter Putin,” Starmer told reporters on the plane to Washington.
“If there is a ceasefire without a backstop, it will simply give him the opportunity to wait and to come again, because his ambition in relation to Ukraine is pretty obvious.”
British officials said European countries would be reluctant to commit forces unless Washington had their backs.
But Trump has long pushed for European nations to take more of the burden for Ukraine’s defense, and their own.
“I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond very much. We’re going to have Europe do that,” Trump told reporters as he held the first cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday.
A senior Trump administration official said the backstop was “obviously very high on our European allies’ agenda” but said securing a proper ceasefire first was more important.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
