Don’t Anticipate a Love Actually Moment from the Starmer-Trump Meeting | Politics News

For a prime minister who has frequently found himself abroad, this week’s significant trip to Washington DC could be the one for which Sir Keir Starmer will be most notably recognized.

As the Western alliance appears to be on the brink of division over Donald Trump‘s harsh criticism of Ukraine and his warm reception of Russia, the PM’s objective is to mend those fissures, advocate for Ukraine, and attempt to realign the White House with the European perspective.

Can he persuade President Trump of the necessity for Ukrainians and Europeans to be included in his negotiations with Russia, and ensure that any resulting peace agreement is fortified with American military support?

Or will he experience the same type of embarrassment that Theresa May did during her meeting with Mr. Trump in 2017?

The former Conservative prime minister achieved a diplomatic victory by becoming the first world leader invited to the White House following Mr. Trump’s initial election victory, aiming to fortify the president’s endorsement of NATO.

Although she did manage to obtain a public pledge for NATO—and incidentally, promised to push other European leaders to increase their defense spending—what remains etched in history is the image of a domineering president holding her hand while she smiled uncomfortably.

This time, the stakes are considerably higher.

In recent days, the unpredictable new president has undermined Ukraine and dismantled the post-war assumption that America could be counted upon as the protector of the Western world.

While Mr. Trump’s demand for European leaders to enhance their defense spending and take responsibility for their own security isn’t surprising, his blatant disdain for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his seeming acceptance of Russian propaganda has caught the attention of the rest of Europe off guard.

This weekend, Mr. Trump has criticized both Sir Keir and President Emmanuel Macron—who will meet with the president three days prior to Sir Keir’s visit—claiming they have done “nothing” to resolve the war in Ukraine.

Downing Street is opting for a dignified silence in response. The last thing they want to do before Sir Keir’s visit is provoke further anger from the president. They’re already navigating a tricky situation in publicly countering the president’s characterization of President Zelenskyy as a “dictator” by making a quick, supportive phone call reaffirming Ukraine’s “democratically elected leader”.

Sir Keir has made three calls to Mr. Zelenskyy within the past week, clearly indicating that the UK’s support for Ukraine is steadfast, despite the president’s remarks. It is anticipated that the UK will announce additional military support along with a package of sanctions against Russia to commemorate the third anniversary of the invasion, which opposes Mr. Trump’s desire to end the fighting promptly.

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However, Sir Keir will arrive at the White House prepared, attempting to placate the president.

It appears he will announce this week a schedule for increasing defense spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of GDP, which was not expected until the spring. The president has consistently emphasized the necessity for all NATO members to enhance their defense budgets.

The Telegraph reports that the prime minister will also extend an invitation from the King for a state visit to the UK, a strategy previously used by Mrs. May.

Will this be sufficient to encourage Mr. Trump to show greater enthusiasm for Sir Keir’s proposal to deploy British and European troops to help secure peace in Ukraine, alongside US security guarantees?

Read more:
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The Russians are clearly opposed to this idea, and the president has already expressed his reluctance to deploy American troops to Europe. But maybe US air support could provide the essential “backstop”, as Sir Keir describes it.

Beyond Ukraine, numerous other issues will require the PM to utilize his finest diplomatic abilities.

The Chagos deal is one contentious matter. Labour has proposed returning the distant Pacific archipelago to Mauritius, consistent with international court rulings, while agreeing to pay to maintain the lease on the UK/US military base there for another 99 years. The government insists this arrangement is crucial for national security, but the Trump administration has signaled its displeasure with the proposal.

The other pressing issue is tariffs, as Mr. Trump threatens to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on imports into the US, citing VAT as an example of an “unfair, discriminatory, or extraterritorial tax”. The White House is also indicating a 25% tariff on foreign steel and aluminum.

The UK is hoping to negotiate some form of exemption due to the mostly balanced nature of US/UK trade, although this strategy did not succeed the last time the president held office.

In a worst-case scenario, economists have estimated that tariffs could impose a £24bn cost on the British economy.

This is a busy agenda—made even more complicated by Elon Musk’s vocal opposition to Sir Keir.

Any notion of a Love Actually-style moment—of openly critiquing the US president’s erratic diplomatic approach—is not in the prime minister’s playbook. Mr. Trump has recently referred to Sir Keir as a “very nice guy”—however, that personal rapport will only take the negotiations so far.