Trump this afternoon is expected to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House. The two will hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office followed by a press conference.
Starmer, as French President Emanuel Macron did during a visit Monday, is expected to reaffirm his support for Ukraine as Trump moves to quickly end the war through direct negotiations with Russia.
“The world is becoming ever more dangerous, and it is more important than ever that we are united with our allies,” Starmer said in a statement ahead of the meeting.
The British Embassy said in a statement that Starmer “will reiterate the UK’s commitment to securing a just and enduring peace, bringing an end to Russia’s illegal war.”
“The Prime Minister will be clear that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine and will recognize the need for Europe to play its part on global defense and step up for the good of collective European security,” the statement read.
Starmer on Tuesday announced plans for Britain to increase its military spending by curtailing foreign aid, a response to a long-standing claim by Trump that Europe takes undue advantage of the U.S. security apparatus.
While meeting with Trump in the Oval Office on Monday, Macron disputed his assertion that Europe is loaning money to Ukraine.
“No, in fact, to be to be frank, we pay. We paid 60% of the total defaults, and it was — like the U.S. — loans, guaranteed grants, and we provided real money,” Macron said.
