UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on President Donald Trump to reaffirm the United States' commitment to ensuring Ukraine's security if the conflict ends, warning against any deal for peace that would serve the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But as they met at the Oval Office and later gave a press briefing, Trump overruled Starmer's appeals, repeating what he has often said: the war must end quickly.
This is the moment to broker a end to the vicious war—now or never," Trump declared at the joint press conference with Starmer.
The U.S. President expressed confidence that a resolution could be reached soon, saying, “A deal to end the war will either happen fairly quickly or not happen at all. We’re making significant progress toward that goal.” Trump’s week of diplomatic engagements is set to conclude on Friday with a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump's refusal to bend to Starmer's demands was regarded as a blow to European leaders, who have expressed fears that his efforts to bring the war to a quick conclusion may entail undue concessions to Putin. Starmer's trip to Washington followed just two days after French President Emmanuel Macron made a similar appeal to the White House.
Zelensky's Friday visit will lead to a contentious minerals agreement, which Trump contends will repay the U.S. for the billions of dollars in military and economic assistance sent to Ukraine since Russia invaded it in early 2022.
Trump has proposed that sending American businesses to mine Ukraine's key minerals would be a deterrent to further Russian aggression, although some of the nation's most prized mineral deposits are in Russian-held areas.
"I don't think anyone will take chances if we have a strong presence with many workers on the ground," Trump said.
Additionally, tensions between Trump and Zelensky have escalated in recent weeks. When questioned about whether he regretted calling the Ukrainian leader a “dictator,” Trump evaded the topic, simply stating, “I think we’re going to have a very productive meeting tomorrow.”
While he was in the U.S., Starmer aimed to shore up UK-U.S. relations by offering Trump a number of gifts and hand-delivering an invitation from King Charles for a state visit to Britain. Trump accepted, although no date has yet been confirmed.
This invitation is the first such two state visits bestowed on a modern-era elected politician by a British monarch—a point at which Starmer hammered repeatedly throughout the visit. Trump was before this invited by Queen Elizabeth II for a state visit in 2019.
"This is really special—something historic. It says a lot about the power of our relationship," said Starmer.
Aside from talking about Ukraine, Starmer also gained some ground in getting exemptions for the UK from a string of tariffs Trump plans to impose on allies and rivals alike.
Read also| Pentagon Orders Removal of Transgender Troops from US Military Within 30 Days
