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UK prime minister has arrived in the White House to meet Donald Trump for crunch talks on US support for Ukraine
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US president Donald Trump has said he trusts Russian president Vladimir Putin to “keep his word” on a peace settlement with Ukraine.
Speaking alongside British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer in the White House’s Oval Office, Mr Trump was asked how Russia would be deterred from further aggression. It comes as Sir Keir looks to secure a US “backstop” to ensure European security in any peace settlement.
Mr Trump also admitted his relationship with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky had become “testy”. Asked if he still believed Mr Zelensky is a “dictator” – an accusation he levelled during a Truth Social rant earlier this month – Mr Trump replied simply: “Did I say that?”
Sir Keir commended Mr Trump for “changing the conversation” as he pushes for a peace deal. “We want to work with you to make sure that peace deal is enduring, that it lasts, that it’s a deal that goes down as a historic deal that nobody breaches,” Sir Keir added.
The UK prime minister is prepared to commit British troops to a peacekeeping mission but believes that US promises are vital to “deter Putin from coming again”.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky will also visit Washington to sign a deal on rare earth minerals on Friday – but warned that security guarantees remain to be decided as part of the framework economic deal.
Donald Trump and Keir Starmer are enjoying a lunch in the White House.
The US president infamously served Sir Keir Starmer with chicken during their first meeting at Trump Towers in September.
This left the prime minister, who does not eat meat except for fish, very hungry.
According to the BBC, the White House is offering up a Starmer-friendly menu for lunch today.
It will start with a winter green salad, before grilled seabass is served as their main, followed by a chocolate caramel cake.
With full bellies, the pair were due to hold another meeting after lunch, before they hold a press conference.
Donald Trump declined to confirm whether the US would come to the UK’s rescue in the event of direct conflict with Russia.
“I’ve always found about the British, they don’t need much help,” he said.
“They can take care of themselves very well. The British are, have been, incredible soldiers, incredible military, and they can take care of themselves, but if they need help, I’ll always be with the British.
“I’ll always be with them, but they don’t need help.”
Sir Keir Starmer has corrected Donald Trump’s claim that the EU will get back all the money which it gave to Ukraine.
It was a repeat of an interaction with French president Emmanuel Macron, who corrected the same claim earlier this week.
“You know, they they get their money back, we don’t get the money back. Biden made a deal. He put in $350 billion and I thought it was a very unfair situation,” Mr Trump said
Sir Keir interjected: We’re not getting all of ours [back]. I mean, quite a bit of ours was gifted. “It was given. There were some loans, but mainly it was gifted.”
Donald Trump has said he does not think Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin would invade Ukraine again after a peace settlement was agreed.
“I don’t think so. I think when we have a deal, it’s going to be the deal,” he said.
Asked what he would be prepared to do if Putin did not stick to his word, he added: “I’ve known him for a long time now. I don’t believe he’s going to violate his word. I don’t think he’ll be back when we make a deal”
Discussing the possibility of US troops involved in peacekeeping in Ukraine, Mr Trump said the countries “have to make a deal first”.
“I think we’re very well advanced. I think Russia has been acting very well,” he said.
“I think we’re very well advanced on a deal, but we have not made a deal yet. So I don’t like to talk about peacekeeping until we have a deal,” he added.
“I like to get things done. I don’t want to give it the bad luck sign. We don’t want to do that.”
Asked if he could be persuaded to provide air cover apart of a US backstop in Ukraine, Donald Trump said: “President Zelensky is coming to see me on Friday, Friday morning, and we’re going to be signing really a very important agreement for both sides.
“We’ll be working there. We have a lot of people working there. And so in that sense, it’s very good. It’s a backstop, you could say.”
“I don’t think anybody’s going to play around if we’re there with a lot of workers, and having to do with rare earths and other things which we need for our country,” he added.
Sir Keir added: “We’ve already indicated that we’ll play our full part in making sure that any deal, if there is one, and I hope there is.
“I think this is a historic moment to make sure it’s a lasting deal, and we’re about to have a discussion about how we can make that work.”
Asked whether he still believes Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is a “dictator”, Donald Trump asked: “Did I say that?”
“I can’t believe I said that, next question,” he added.
Mr Trump had accused Mr Zelensky of being an dictator in a rant on Truth Social, because he has not held elections during wartime.
He added that he had a “very good relationship” with Mr Zelensky, although admitted that it “maybe got a little bit testy”.
Donald Trump told Sir Keir Starmer that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine has advanced and the US has held good talks with both countries.
He confirmed that Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the White House on Friday.
Sir Keir told reporters that he would discuss with the US president how to ensure any Ukraine peace deal is not violated by Russia.
Sir Keir Starmer handed Donald Trump a letter from King Charles, inviting the US president for a state visit in the UK.
Mr Trump called King Charles a “great, great gentleman” and a “beautiful man, a wonderful man”.
Donald Trump has said that a ceasefire would be needed before deciding whether US troops would be involved in a peacekeeping mission
Sir Keir Starmer thanked Mr Trump for changing the conversation on Ukraine, adding that a historic deal can be achieved
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