In a high-stakes meeting at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a minerals deal with Ukraine would serve as the security guarantee the country needs against Russian aggression, effectively dismissing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's request for direct U.S. military support.
This encounter marked Starmer's first meeting with Trump since the former president took office. Despite Starmer's charismatic efforts, asserting that peace in Ukraine was achievable thanks to Trump's leadership, fundamental disagreements between the allies persisted. These tensions include transatlantic frictions over the U.S.-Russia negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Trump's ongoing tariff threats.
Prior to the meeting, Starmer emphasized that lasting peace in Ukraine was unattainable without firm U.S. security guarantees. However, Trump countered this argument by highlighting the significance of an economic partnership, stating, \"We are a backstop because we'll be over there, we'll be working. We're going to have a lot of people over there.\"
When questioned about trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump echoed former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's approach, saying, \"Trust and verify.\" He also expressed optimism about the pace of peace talks, noting, \"It will either be fairly soon, or it won't be at all.\"
Starmer, underscoring the concerns of European nations, cautioned that any rushed peace deal could lead to further instability in Europe. \"We have to get it right. It can't be peace that rewards the aggressor,\" he stated during a joint press conference with Trump.
This meeting followed French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to the White House earlier in the week, which also highlighted stark differences over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Starmer indicated that Britain plans to increase defense spending and reassured Trump that Europe would provide support and security guarantees to Ukraine if peace talks with Russia succeed.
On reaffirming the United States' commitment to NATO, Trump remarked, \"I support it. I don't think we're going to have any reason for it,\" even if European peacekeepers are deployed in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Starmer expressed openness to the deployment of British troops to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, but only alongside other European nations and under the right conditions.
The leaders also discussed a bilateral trade agreement. While a comprehensive free trade deal has been elusive since Trump's 2017-2021 term, the U.S. president suggested that a deal could be reached \"very shortly.\"
In response to whether Starmer had swayed him to drop tariff threats on Britain, Trump replied, \"He tried. He was working hard, I'll tell you that. We could very well end up with a real trade deal where the tariffs wouldn't be necessary. We'll see.\"
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Trump dismisses Starmer's call for U.S. military guarantees in Ukraine
cgtn.com
