Donald Trump says US will not give Ukraine safety assure ‘past very a lot’ forward of assembly with Keir Starmer
Good morning. Keir Starmer is in Washington the place later as we speak he may have his first assembly with President Trump because the inauguration. With Trump aligning with Moscow much more explicitly than he did throughout his first administration, and threatening to wind down the Nato ensures which have underpinned the safety of western Europe because the second world warfare, the stakes couldn’t be increased. Starmer, regardless of main a celebration whose activists largely detest Trump and all the things he represents, has managed to determine a heat relationship with the president and as we speak will give some clues as to what extent he can maintain that, and defend the UK from the tariff warfare that Trump is threatening to unleash on the EU. However Starmer is one in every of three European leaders in Washington this week (Emmanuel Macron was there on Monday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is there tomorrow) and as we speak’s assembly can be a part of a wider story concerning the fracturing of the US/Europe alliance. It’s undoubtedly in hassle; what shouldn’t be but clear is whether or not after 4 years of Trump it would nonetheless be absolutely useful.
Starmer spoke to reporters on his flight to the US yesterday. Pippa Crerar, the Guardian’s political editor, was on the airplane and, as she stories, Starmer stated he desires Trump to agree that, within the occasion of a peace settlement in Ukraine, the US will provide safety ensures that can make it sturdy. The PM has already stated that Britain would contribute troops to a European so-called “tripwire” peace-keeping power, there to defend Ukraine and deter Russia. However European troopers would want US air and logistical help to be efficient, and Starmer is in search of assurances that Washington will present this degree of help.
However the backdrop shouldn’t be promising. As Starmer was flying throughout the Atlantic, Trump was holding a televised cupboard assembly the place, Soviet-style, his ministers laughed heartily at his jokes as all of them congratulated one another on how brilliantly they had been doing. In the middle of the assembly, with regards to Ukraine, Trump stated:
I’m not going to make safety ensures past very a lot. We’re going to have Europe try this.
Starmer is because of arrive on the White Home shortly after 5pm UK time and the press convention is supposed to start out at 7pm. We’ll, in fact, be protecting it dwell. It ought to be fascinating. Throughout Trump’s first time period, Theresa Could managed to get the primary overseas chief invite to the White Home and her go to, throughout which she provided the president a state go to, was deemed successful. However it didn’t cease Trump treating her very badly later throughout the presidency, usually patronising her after they spoke in non-public, and typically in public too, and overtly suggesting at one level that Boris Johnson would make a greater substitute.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: The Residence Workplace publishes its newest asylum, resettlement and returns figures.
9.30am: Lisa Nandy, the tradition secretary, takes questions within the Commons.
After 10.30am: Lucy Powell, the chief of the Commons, makes an announcement to MPs about subsequent week’s parliamentary enterprise.
11.30am: Downing Road holds a foyer briefing.
Round 5.15pm (UK time): Keir Starmer is because of arrive on the White Home for his assembly with President Trump.
Round 7pm (UK time): Starmer and Trump are as a result of maintain a press convention.
And in some unspecified time in the future as we speak Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, is anticipated to announce that she is approving a call to develop Gatwick.
If you wish to contact me, please publish a message under the road or message me on social media. I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however should you put “Andrew” in a message aimed toward me, I’m extra more likely to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase.
If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of social media. You’ll be able to attain me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X however particular person Guardian journalists are there, I nonetheless have my account, and should you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I’ll see it and reply if vital.
I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos. No error is simply too small to right. And I discover your questions very fascinating too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically within the weblog.
Key occasions
Listed below are some extra photos from the reception on the British ambassador’s residence in Washington attended by Keir Starmer final evening.
Minister ‘sets path’ to permit Gatwick to open second runway
Gatwick has been given a certified inexperienced gentle to function a second runway after the federal government “set out a path to expansion” for London’s second greatest airport, Gwyn Topham stories.
Starmer says he desires UK and US to have ‘new partnership’
Keir Starmer additionally spoke on the reception on the ambassador’s residence final evening, and he used his speech to counsel that the Labour authorities and the Trump administration have extra in frequent than folks may assume.
Referring to Elon Musk, and his latest look alongside the Argentinian president Javier Milei and a chainsaw, Starmer stated:
My message is absolutely easy, that there isn’t a extra vital relationship for the UK [than the US], in defence, in safety, in commerce, in tech, in finance, and a lot extra.
So we need to strike a brand new partnership. We share the view that our greatest days lie forward.
And you recognize, taking out a chainsaw isn’t fairly my type. However we’re stripping away pink tape and paperwork.
We’re reforming allowing [planning rules], getting issues constructed, lowering boundaries to funding and development. And we’re open for enterprise, open for funding, and we’re decided to assist US innovators thrive in the UK.
So my message is we need to work with you, we need to welcome you to Britain, we would like a brand new partnership, as a result of our historical past exhibits that after we work collectively, nice issues occur.
Starmer additionally cracked a joke about Peter Mandelson. Starmer stated:
I’ve solely simply arrived however already I can really feel there’s actual buzz round Washington proper now. You’ll be able to sense that there’s a brand new chief. nHe’s a real one-off, a pioneer in enterprise, in politics. Many individuals love him. Others like to hate him. However to us, he’ s simply … Peter.
Trump can be ‘very consequential president’, Mandelson says
Keir Starmer attended a reception on the British embassy in Washington final evening, the place Peter Mandelson, the brand new UK ambassador, predicted that Donald Trump could be a “very consequential president”.
In his speech, Mandelson this was a “very significant moment for our lives, between our two countries and indeed for all the freedom-loving democracies in the world”. He instructed his friends:
The US and the UK, we principally share all the things collectively.
We share folks, we share cultures, we share loads of intelligence, we share applied sciences, and … we additionally share among the combating of our adversaries as nicely.
And naturally one factor we don’t must battle over is commerce, as a result of now we have this fantastically honest and balanced commerce relationship after we reciprocate a lot – that’s just a bit factor so that you can bear in mind within the coming weeks.
Trump has not but stated whether or not or not the UK can be exempt from the tariffs he says he’ll impose on the remainder of Europe, and the UK authorities is arguing that its exports ought to be tariff-free as a result of commerce between the 2 international locations is broadly balanced.
Referring to Trump, Mandelson additionally stated:
You may have a pacesetter on this nation within the president who in my opinion goes to be a really consequential president for this nation certainly.
Mandelson meant his American friends to take that as a praise. However even Trump’s fiercest critics in all probability wouldn’t quibble with Mandelson’s description.
Donald Trump says US will not give Ukraine safety assure ‘past very a lot’ forward of assembly with Keir Starmer
Good morning. Keir Starmer is in Washington the place later as we speak he may have his first assembly with President Trump because the inauguration. With Trump aligning with Moscow much more explicitly than he did throughout his first administration, and threatening to wind down the Nato ensures which have underpinned the safety of western Europe because the second world warfare, the stakes couldn’t be increased. Starmer, regardless of main a celebration whose activists largely detest Trump and all the things he represents, has managed to determine a heat relationship with the president and as we speak will give some clues as to what extent he can maintain that, and defend the UK from the tariff warfare that Trump is threatening to unleash on the EU. However Starmer is one in every of three European leaders in Washington this week (Emmanuel Macron was there on Monday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is there tomorrow) and as we speak’s assembly can be a part of a wider story concerning the fracturing of the US/Europe alliance. It’s undoubtedly in hassle; what shouldn’t be but clear is whether or not after 4 years of Trump it would nonetheless be absolutely useful.
Starmer spoke to reporters on his flight to the US yesterday. Pippa Crerar, the Guardian’s political editor, was on the airplane and, as she stories, Starmer stated he desires Trump to agree that, within the occasion of a peace settlement in Ukraine, the US will provide safety ensures that can make it sturdy. The PM has already stated that Britain would contribute troops to a European so-called “tripwire” peace-keeping power, there to defend Ukraine and deter Russia. However European troopers would want US air and logistical help to be efficient, and Starmer is in search of assurances that Washington will present this degree of help.
However the backdrop shouldn’t be promising. As Starmer was flying throughout the Atlantic, Trump was holding a televised cupboard assembly the place, Soviet-style, his ministers laughed heartily at his jokes as all of them congratulated one another on how brilliantly they had been doing. In the middle of the assembly, with regards to Ukraine, Trump stated:
I’m not going to make safety ensures past very a lot. We’re going to have Europe try this.
Starmer is because of arrive on the White Home shortly after 5pm UK time and the press convention is supposed to start out at 7pm. We’ll, in fact, be protecting it dwell. It ought to be fascinating. Throughout Trump’s first time period, Theresa Could managed to get the primary overseas chief invite to the White Home and her go to, throughout which she provided the president a state go to, was deemed successful. However it didn’t cease Trump treating her very badly later throughout the presidency, usually patronising her after they spoke in non-public, and typically in public too, and overtly suggesting at one level that Boris Johnson would make a greater substitute.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: The Residence Workplace publishes its newest asylum, resettlement and returns figures.
9.30am: Lisa Nandy, the tradition secretary, takes questions within the Commons.
After 10.30am: Lucy Powell, the chief of the Commons, makes an announcement to MPs about subsequent week’s parliamentary enterprise.
11.30am: Downing Road holds a foyer briefing.
Round 5.15pm (UK time): Keir Starmer is because of arrive on the White Home for his assembly with President Trump.
Round 7pm (UK time): Starmer and Trump are as a result of maintain a press convention.
And in some unspecified time in the future as we speak Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, is anticipated to announce that she is approving a call to develop Gatwick.
If you wish to contact me, please publish a message under the road or message me on social media. I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however should you put “Andrew” in a message aimed toward me, I’m extra more likely to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase.
If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of social media. You’ll be able to attain me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X however particular person Guardian journalists are there, I nonetheless have my account, and should you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I’ll see it and reply if vital.
I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos. No error is simply too small to right. And I discover your questions very fascinating too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically within the weblog.
