British Prime Minister Starmer Paait Trump with the invitation of King Charles, but he also receives no security guarantees for Ukraine

British diplomats will be satisfied. For the time being there will be no American import duties for the United Kingdom. Instead, the two countries start new negotiations on a trade agreement. US President Donald Trump waved a warm letter from King Charles, an invitation for a « historical state visit. » And Trump called starmer « a hard negotiator, » which is meant as a compliment in his experience.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Labor) was visiting Washington on Thursday, as the second European government leader since Trump is in the White House again. Especially on 'domestic' topics, starmer received important commitments – with regard to the European defense interests, he was less successful.

Just like French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit last Monday, Starmer also had a priority to make agreements on American security guarantees, to be able to permanently deter Russia after a possible peace agreement in Ukraine. And again, just like with Macron, Trump did not make any hard commitments about an American « safety net » after a cease-fire. Trump did repeat that the raw material deal that the US and Ukraine would probably sign on Friday would also work practically as a security guarantee, because that American presence in Ukraine would result. « We are going to dig, dig, dig, » he said.

Good mutual relationships

In recent months, also in the run -up to Trumps re -election, starmer and Trump have built up a good relationship: despite their large mutual differences in ideology, background and charisma. One is unpredictable and finds international law unimportant, the other made a career as a solid human rights lawyer and is known as A Borea boring. For every government leader, Starmer takes a standard gift with a first meeting: a personalized T-shirt from his favorite football club Arsenal.

Both leaders reached the extensive on Thursday Special Relationship Between the US and the UK, the term that politicians, diplomats and media have been using since the Second World War to describe the close bond between the two countries. The two countries share a lot of their secret information, just like knowledge and technology on nuclear weapons. At the same time, the reciprocity of that 'special relationship' is often under discussion, because the relationships have never really been in balance: the US is much more powerful and more influential. And under the leadership of Trump, the importance of such a historical commitment is completely relative.

But on Thursday, President Trump was mildly voted and he called Prime Minister starmer « a special man » and the UK « a beautiful country. » Perhaps Starmer helped to have that official invitation for a state visit. Koning Charles would like to receive Trump soon on one of his estates in Scotland, near one of the two golf courses that Donald Trump owns there. The Prime Minister put it a lot on top: such a second state visit from an American president – Trump also came by in 2018 – « has never happened ». Royal splendor and Praal are doing well with Trump, starmer and his staff must have thought.

At the same time, British Prime Minister did not have to go too much in Trumps Rhetoric and are often actually incorrect claims. Most British do not have a positive picture of Trump. « The government hopes that the bully in the playground will not notice her, » said Ed Davey about that last week, the leader of opposition party the Liberal Democrats. « I sympathize that they try that, but the danger is that it doesn't work. » According to him, Prime Minister Starmer Trump should offer more reply. That worked moderately on Thursday. His strongest moment was then the recent swipe of vice president JD Vance to Europe, the freedom of expression, was discussed about the curtailment of freedom of expression. « We have had freedom of expression for a long time and we are proud of that, » he interrupted Trump. Furthermore, starmer did the most difficult questions from journalists.

UK would like the leadership

Since it became known that Trump had called Russian President Putin about peace conversations for Ukraine, now more than two weeks ago, Starmer has taken initiatives to strengthen the European position surrounding those negotiations. The British are willing to send soldiers to Ukraine, the prime minister announced, and last Tuesday he announced that the British defense spending expenses will increase to 2.5 percent of the gross domestic product in the coming two years. He works on two tracks: on the one hand he spawns Trump with it, on the other they are deciding that ensures that Europe becomes less dependent on the US.

Starmer said earlier that he sees 'a bridge function' in front of the UK, a pivot between the European Union and the United States. He did not repeat that on Thursday – and in the UK there was certainly criticism of the usefulness of that ambition. « As far as we know, no European government leader has refused a bell of the US president to refer him to starmer instead, » wrote the right -wing magazine for example The Spectator.

On the other hand, the interests of the United Kingdom, the European Union and Ukraine are now so obvious that working together seems to go almost automatically. Prime Minister Starmer called the French President Macron earlier this week to hear his experiences in the White House first -hand. And next Sunday, the Prime Minister will receive the most important European government leaders in London, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO boss Mark Rutte to continue to talk about Ukraine and European investments in Defense.

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