President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a minerals deal with Ukraine is the security guarantee Kyiv needs against Russia, brushing aside a plea from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a commitment of US military support.
Starmer, who was meeting Trump at the White House for the first time since the US leader took office, turned on the charm, saying peace in Ukraine had only become possible because of Trump.
Starmer also delivered an invitation from King Charles for a future state visit, which Trump accepted.
But underlying differences between the allies remained, including transatlantic frictions over US-Russia talks aimed at ending the Ukraine war and Trump's tariff threats.
Before the meeting, Starmer had said there could be no long-term peace in Ukraine without firm US security guarantees - an argument Trump all but dismissed.
"We are a backstop because we'll be over there, we'll be working," as a result of the economic partnership, Trump said. "We're going to have a lot of people over there."
Asked whether he could trust Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said, "trust and verify," echoing former US President Ronald Reagan's views on negotiations with the Soviet Union.
He said he did not think Putin, who organized invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, would do so again after a deal. Talks toward such a compact were moving briskly, he said.
"It will either be fairly soon, or it won't be at all," Trump said.
Starmer said not just any deal would do, underscoring the concern among European nations that a rushed peace deal with Russia might lead to further instability in Europe.
"We have to get it right," he said at a joint press conference with Trump. "It can't be peace that rewards the aggressor."
SHOCKING ALLIES
Starmer is the latest European leader to meet Trump after French President Emmanuel Macron came to the White House on Monday for a friendly encounter that also displayed stark differences about Russia's war with Ukraine.
Trump, who entered office on 20 January has shocked traditional US allies in Europe by drawing closer to Putin, calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator," and demanding payback for US financial support for Kyiv. On Thursday, Trump distanced himself from the dictator comment and said he gets along with the Ukrainian leader.
Zelensky is expected to be in Washington on Friday to sign a deal with Trump on rare earth minerals. Trump portrays the deal as a way to recoup American money that has been spent to support Ukraine. It includes no security guarantees for Kyiv.
Starmer has signaled that Britain will increase defense spending and tried to reassure the US president that Europe will provide support and security guarantees to Kyiv if peace talks with Russia are successful.
On Thursday, Trump reaffirmed the United States' long commitments to the mutual defense of NATO nations even if European peacekeepers end up in Ukraine, saying "I support it. I don't think we're going to have any reason for it."
Putin on Thursday warned "Western elites" against trying to sabotage rapprochement between Russia and the US, saying Moscow would use its diplomats and intelligence services to thwart such efforts. The remarks were an apparent reference to the European Union and Britain.
Starmer has said he is open to British troops providing security guarantees to Ukraine but only alongside other European nations and with "the right conditions in place."
European countries are concerned about the high level of conflict in Ukraine now, the US official said, while a ceasefire based on a strong political settlement would give them more comfort that their role is more about peacekeeping than deterring active conflict.
TRADE TALKS
Trump has shattered policy norms since the start of his second term, rattling allies by advocating for US ownership of the Gaza Strip and promising trade tariffs on US friends and foes alike.
During the joint press conference, Trump said the US and Britain were negotiating a bilateral trade agreement.
A wide-ranging free trade deal has eluded the countries since Trump's 2017-2021 term in office, but the US president said the two countries could reach a deal "very shortly."
Asked by a reporter whether Starmer had convinced him to abandon threats to impose tariffs on Britain, Trump said, "He tried. He was working hard, I'll tell you that."
"We could very well end up with a real trade deal where the tariffs wouldn't be necessary," Trump said. "We'll see."
At the start of the visit, US Vice President JD Vance said the leaders also were discussing what he described as "infringements on free speech" in Britain that have affected US technology companies.
"We've had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom," Starmer responded.
The British leader took care not to be drawn into any criticism of Trump. The US president also dished out compliments.
"You're a very tough negotiator," Trump said, drawing laughter from Starmer. "I'm not sure I like that."
