Starmer says he felt ‘uncomfortable’ watching Zelenskyy-Trump argument at White House
Keir Starmer has been asked on the BBC about the furious exchange between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in the White House last week. He admitted that he “felt uncomfortable” watching the argument.
The British prime minister insists the focus has to be a “lasting peace” in Ukraine, which he says is essential for the security of Europe.
When asked about the exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy, he said “nobody wants to see that” and said that he spoke to Trump and Zelenskyy on the phone after the heated exchange.
He would not be drawn on specifics but said the purpose has been to “bridge” tensions to get everyone back to the “central focus” of supporting Ukraine to “stop the fighting” in the long term.
Key events
Starmer says he thinks Trump wants to see a lasting peace in Ukraine despite his rhetoric and attitude towards Zelenskyy. “Everybody agrees with that apart from Putin,” he told the BBC. By “lasting peace”, Starmer means a “US backstop”, along with “security guarantees” provided by European countries and a “strong Ukraine” armed with defensive capabilities to resist the Russian invasion.
Starmer says UK and France will work with Kyiv to present peace plan to Washington
Starmer said that after discussions with Zelenskyy and Macron that there has been an agreement made that the UK, along with France, and “possibly one or two others” will work with Kyiv to stop the war. He said this agreed peace plan will be presented to the US.
Starmer says the worst of all outcomes is for Russia to break the terms of an agreed ceasefire deal.
I am clear about is that if there is to be a deal, if there is to be a stopping of the fighting, then that agreement has to be defended, because the worst of all outcomes is that there is a temporary pause, and then Putin comes again.
That has happened in the past. I think it is a real risk, and that is why we must ensure that if there’s a deal, it’s a lasting deal, not a temporary pause.
Starmer says he felt ‘uncomfortable’ watching Zelenskyy-Trump argument at White House
Keir Starmer has been asked on the BBC about the furious exchange between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in the White House last week. He admitted that he “felt uncomfortable” watching the argument.
The British prime minister insists the focus has to be a “lasting peace” in Ukraine, which he says is essential for the security of Europe.
When asked about the exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy, he said “nobody wants to see that” and said that he spoke to Trump and Zelenskyy on the phone after the heated exchange.
He would not be drawn on specifics but said the purpose has been to “bridge” tensions to get everyone back to the “central focus” of supporting Ukraine to “stop the fighting” in the long term.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative party, has written in The Telegraph to call for an increase to defence spending among Nato countries. She welcomed Keir Starmer’s plans to increase domestic defence spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027 but said “that step cannot be the final one”. Starmer said the rise from the current 2.3% means £13.4bn more will be spent annually on defence after 2027. It will be paid for by cuts to to foreign aid.
In making his surprise announcement last week, the British prime minister said he wanted defence spending to rise to 3% of GDP in the next parliament, but this would only be guaranteed if his Labour party won the next general election, set for 2029.
Here is an extract from Badenoch’s opinion piece in the Sunday Telegraph:
The exchanges in the White House on Friday are not where that conversation ends. We have honest differences with the Trump administration, which must be resolved.
Because there can be no doubt that we are today living through the most dangerous times we have seen since the worst moments of the Cold War, such as the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Then, the US and the Soviet Union were on the brink of direct military confrontation. What was the lesson there? In the face of implacable US determination, the Russians backed down. Russia respects only hard force and willpower.
That is why the UK must lead by example. We Europeans must prepare for the worst. Our motto must be peace through strength. It is now abundantly clear all Nato allies must rapidly increase their defence spending.
The UK should commit to raising defence spending to 3% of GDP by the end of this Parliament. The prime minister will have our support in taking the difficult decisions required to make this happen.
More than a dozen world leaders are set to gather in London today to discuss joint plans on defence and security as US military support for Ukraine hangs in the balance after talks over a minerals deal collapsed last week.
European leaders are seeking security guarantees – such as air cover – from Washington as part of any so-called peace deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Keir Starmer, having announced the biggest increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war last week, will be trying to persuade other European countries to increase their defence capabilities and spending so the continent is better prepared to face the threat from Russia without the usual safety net of US support.
Starmer will shortly be on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, which starts at 9am, along with Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition.
The British prime minister met Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday evening, in what was described by Downing Street as a “warm and meaningful” exchange.
On Saturday night, a No 10 spokesperson said:
The prime minister reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine, adding that the UK will always stand with them, for as long as it takes.
The prime minister restated his determination to finding a path that ends Russia’s illegal war and ensures a just and lasting peace that secures Ukraine’s future sovereignty and security.
The leaders looked forward to continuing these discussions at tomorrow’s leaders’ summit in London.
Keir Starmer to host special defence summit on Ukrainian defence and security
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Ukraine war, with leaders from around Europe gathering at a special defence summit in London on Sunday to discuss the crisis.
The meeting has taken on new importance after talks broke down between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US president Donald Trump in a tense showdown at the White House on Friday.
The unprecedented events in Washington have put the pressure on Europe to find new ways to defend its war-torn ally and shore up the continent’s defences.
Led by the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, the summit brings together leaders from around continental Europe, including France, Germany, Denmark and Italy as well as Turkey, Nato and the EU.
“Now is the time for us to unite in order to guarantee the best outcome for Ukraine, protect European security and secure our collective future,” Starmer said ahead of the summit.
Downing Street said the summit would again stress the need for a “strong, lasting deal that delivers a permanent peace” and discuss “next steps on planning for strong security guarantees”. We will bring you the latest developments throughout the day so stick with us.
