British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rejected calls to cancel a planned state visit for U.S. President Donald Trump, despite mounting criticism over Trump’s recent clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The row erupted after Trump accused Zelenskiy of lacking gratitude for U.S. support, casting doubt on America’s commitment to Ukraine.
The invitation, extended by King Charles and delivered by Starmer during a high-profile meeting at the White House on Friday, would make Trump the first elected leader to receive two British state visits. However, opposition voices, including Scottish National Party leader John Swinney and Conservative lawmaker Alicia Kearns, have urged the government to reconsider. A petition against the visit has already garnered nearly 70,000 signatures.
Starmer, however, insists that maintaining ties with Washington is paramount, especially at a moment of “real fragility” for European security, according to Reuters. He has deliberately avoided direct criticism of Trump, despite tensions over Ukraine, Gaza and trade policies.
In the wake of Trump and Zelenskiy’s heated exchange, Starmer met the Ukrainian president in London, welcoming him with a warm embrace. The British leader has since launched an urgent diplomatic push, speaking with Trump, Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron to rally European efforts for a peace plan. He argues that a “coalition of the willing” must act swiftly, rather than waiting for consensus across all European nations. Britain and France, he noted, have already signaled willingness to deploy peacekeeping troops.
“Rather than moving at the pace of every single country in Europe, which would in the end be quite a slow process, we’ve got to probably get to a coalition of the willing now,” he told the BBC. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump’s stance, accusing European nations of prolonging the conflict by backing Zelenskiy.
While according to Reuters, Starmer found the Oval Office dispute “uncomfortable viewing,” he remains committed to bridging the gap between Europe and the U.S. as the war in Ukraine continues to test international alliances.
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