London (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – UK PM Keir Starmer said U.S. President Donald Trump has a point that European nations must bear a greater burden for their collective self-defence, the New York Times reported.
We need to think about defence and security in a more immediate way,
he told the New York Times in an interview.
Starmer is attempting to assemble a multinational military strength that he calls a coalition of the willing to keep Ukraine’s skies, ports and boundaries secure after any peace settlement, the report stated.
On Trump, Starmer stated,
On a person-to-person basis, I think we have a good relationship.
But, he said, the U.S. leader’s actions, from imposing a 25% tariff on British steel to berating President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine, had generated “quite a degree of disorientation.
Officials from the British military and defence anticipated that several nations would eventually provide aircraft, naval vessels, or personnel for the initiative. However, despite the political and diplomatic uncertainties, Mr. Starmer expressed that he had to take the lead.
If we only move at the pace of the most cautious,
he said,
then we’re going to move very slowly and we’re not going to be in the position we need to be in.
Why did Trump’s envoy dismiss Starmer’s Ukraine defence plan?
On the other hand, Sir Keir Starmer’s strategy for an international force to support a ceasefire in Ukraine has been dismissed as “a posture and a pose” by Donald Trump’s special representative.
Steve Witkoff stated the idea was established on a “simplistic” notion of the UK prime minister and other European heads thinking “we have all got to be like Winston Churchill”.
In a discussion with journalist Tucker Carlson, Witkoff praised Vladimir Putin, stating he “liked” the Russian president.
I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy,
he stated.
He’s super smart.
Witkoff, who spoke with Putin 10 days ago, described the Russian president as “gracious” and “honest.” He mentioned that Putin had prayed for Trump following last year’s assassination attempt. Witkoff also noted that Putin commissioned a portrait of the US president as a gift, which clearly moved Trump.
In the interview, Witkoff reiterated several Russian claims, stating that Ukraine is “a fictitious country” and questioned when the world will acknowledge occupied Ukrainian regions as part of Russia.
