Keir Starmer will today warn Donald Trump he risks plunging Europe into war unless he agrees a long-term ‘security backstop’ for Ukraine.
The Prime Minister faces the biggest diplomatic challenge of his premiership this afternoon when he visits the White House to urge President Trump not to abandon Ukraine and Europe to Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to reporters while travelling to Washington last night, Sir Keir confirmed he is ready to send thousands of British troops to keep the peace in Ukraine if President Trump secures a truce in the three-year-old war.
But he warned it would be an impossible mission unless the United States provides a military ‘backstop’ to British and European forces.
The PM said Putin would inevitably ‘come again’ unless the West is united in securing Ukraine’s future – potentially plunging the continent into war.
‘The reason I say the backstop is so important is that the security guarantee has to be sufficient to deter Putin from coming again,’ he said. ‘My concern is 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, I think, for all to see.’
He added: ‘I’m considering how we preserve peace in Europe and how we get a lasting peace in Ukraine. And I’m absolutely convinced that we need a lasting peace, not a ceasefire, and for that to happen we need security guarantees. Precisely what that layers up to, what that looks like, is obviously a subject of intense discussion. We will play our part and I’ve been clear that we will need a US backstop of some sort.’
The PM’s visit to the White House today is part of a frantic European effort to persuade President Trump not to switch sides and abandon Ukraine and Europe. The diplomatic push began with a visit by Emmanuel Macron to the White House on Monday and will continue when President Zelensky visits Washington tomorrow to discuss what security guarantees the US is prepared to offer in return for a share of UK’s valuable rare minerals.
Sir Keir confirmed he is ready to send thousands of British troops to keep the peace in Ukraine
President Trump indicated he was not interested in signing off a major US military initiative to hold the peace in Ukraine
All three leaders are expected to review progress at an emergency summit on European security in London on Sunday.
But the scale of the challenge was underlined last night when President Trump indicated he was not interested in providing a signing off a major US military initiative to hold the peace in Ukraine.
Speaking while Sir Keir was still in the air over the Atlantic, Mr Trump said: ‘I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond very much. We’re going to have Europe do that, because we’re talking about Europe as the next door neighbour.
‘But we’re going to make sure everything goes well and as you know, we’ll be really partnering with Ukraine in terms of rare earth. We very much need rare earth. They have great rare earth.’
President Zelensky also struck a cautious note after Mr Trump said his country could ‘forget about’ joining Nato.
The Ukrainian president said the proposed deal on rare minerals ‘may be part of future security guarantees, but I want to understand the broader vision. What awaits Ukraine?’
The PM faces a diplomatic tightrope as he tries to avoid antagonising a President whose claim that President Zelensky is a ‘dictator’ and recent statements on issues like Nato and Gaza have horrified and alarmed senior ministers.
Yesterday he pointedly referred to President Zelensky as Ukraine’s ‘democratically elected’ leader.
And Downing Street said he would push Mr Trump to agree that Ukraine’s leader must be involved in any peace talks on the future of his country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy struck a cautious note after Mr Trump said his country could ‘forget about’ joining Nato
But government sources acknowledged he is anxious to avoid a public row with the President, whose return to the White House last month has upended the post-war world order.
On Tuesday he dramatically announced plans to divert billions of pounds from the aid budget to the military to help placate President Trump, who has told Nato countries they need to increase defence spending massively if they want US military support to continue.
Today, he is expected to play to Mr Trump’s affection for the Royal Family by offering him the honour of another state visit later this year.
Sir Keir last night insisted that he ‘trusts’ President Trump, and said there was ‘no issue between us’ in wanting peace for Ukraine.
‘The President is clearly committed to Nato, clearly committed to the special relationship,’ he said. ‘He wants peace in Ukraine, we all want peace in Ukraine, not least the Ukrainians.’
Last night he insisted he understood the ‘gravity’ of committing British troops to serve as peacekeepers in Ukraine but said it was in the national interest.
‘I want a lasting peace, and I don’t think that will happen if there isn’t an effective deterrence to Putin,’ he said, adding: ‘I understand the gravity of the situation but this is about ensuring that we all enjoy peace. It’s about the security and defence not just of Ukraine and Europe but our own security and defence.’
The PM said the public should be ‘reassured’ by his decision to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, adding: ‘What we’re doing is to ensure their safety, their security and defence of our country.’
President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday claimed Britain and France were ‘heating up the conflict’ by offering to send peacekeeping troops.
But Sir Keir angrily rejected the claim, saying: ‘There’s one aggressor here and that’s Russia, in clear breach of the UN charter. Russia can end this conflict tomorrow by withdrawing and stopping their aggression.
‘All the discussion that follows, about talks, about security guarantees, has to be seen in that context. They are the aggressor. They have invaded and occupied a sovereign country in Europe, and they bear full responsibility for the conflict.’
The PM will also use today’s visit to urge President Trump to spare the UK from swingeing tariffs on exports. Last night he argued that the trading relationship between the two countries was ‘pretty balanced in terms of surplus and deficit’.
Downing Street said he would also push for closer cooperation on artificial intelligence, including collaboration on ‘moonshot’ projects like finding a cure for cancer.
Speaking ahead of the visit, the PM said there were ‘huge opportunities for us to deepen our special relationship, deliver growth and security, and improve the lives of working people in both our great nations.’
