Sir Keir Starmer has spoken out about his relationship with Donald Trump, insisting they “get on really well” despite the US President’s constant attacks. The Prime Minister denied he was snubbed when it emerged the pair were not scheduled for one-on-one talks at the G7 summit in Evian, France.
Starmer Denies Snub
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Sir Keir said: “I sat next to Donald Trump for two hours last night at dinner, which was just the G7 leaders. There were no listening rooms, no staff, no advisers. It was literally an opportunity for all of us to have a very honest and frank conversation.”
He added: “I actually spoke to Donald on Saturday before we came. We get on really well and I’ve been with him now, Saturday on the phone and last night and this morning. We’re sitting next to each other so there’s lots of room for side conversations in the margins.”
Trump’s Attacks and Bilateral Talks
Mr Trump is set to hold bilateral talks with leaders from other countries, such as the UAE, Qatar and India. The US President had previously criticised Sir Keir over his stance on the Iran war and the UK government’s deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius, as he wanted to use the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia to launch attacks on Iran. Mr Trump also took aim at Sir Keir earlier this year by suggesting he was not dealing with Winston Churchill.
Sir Keir insisted Mr Trump did not raise the sudden departure of Defence Secretary John Healey last week following a lack of adequate spending in Britain’s delayed Defence Investment Plan. The PM hinted there was no new money to fund the plan which has yet to be released.
Iran Peace Deal Congratulated
Sir Keir told reporters he had congratulated Mr Trump on his peace deal with Iran. He said: “I've had the opportunity to congratulate him, as have all the other G7 leaders and leaders around the world. That is really significant, because this is a big breakthrough it's an important moment we've all seen the impact this conflict has had on the UK.”
He added: “What we've discussed here is how we now work together to make sure that it sticks and becomes that final deal.”
