Sir Keir Starmer's Oval Office visit with Donald Trump appeared to be a triumph, with the US president praising the Prime Minister's negotiating stance, lauding the special relationship, and even admiring his “beautiful accent.” Trump was handed a letter from King Charles inviting him for a second state visit, and at one point Starmer placed his hand on Trump's shoulder in a gesture of closeness. Yet even as the British delegation filed out, some expressed private concerns that key issues had been left unresolved.
Within 24 hours, those concerns were laid bare. In the same room, Trump clashed explosively with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling him “you're gambling with world war three” after Zelenskyy pressed for security guarantees. The White House cancelled a working lunch, a joint press conference, and a planned minerals deal signing, and Zelenskyy was asked to leave. One UK source said of Starmer's meeting: “There was nothing on that. Starmer got nothing.”
European leaders quickly rallied to Zelenskyy's side, with German CDU leader Friedrich Merz posting: “We stand with #Ukraine in good and in testing times. We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.” On Saturday, Starmer met a bruised Zelenskyy in London, and on Sunday he will host European leaders for talks on Ukraine and Nato's future.
A Foreign Office source acknowledged that the positive reaction to Starmer's Washington trip may have involved “optimism bias,” adding: “If Trump is in a 'good host' mood, being told everything he wants to hear, then it is inevitable that people will think it went well.” A British minister observed: “It is really hard to keep up. I think Keir is finding out just how hard being the bridge between Trump and Europe is going to be.”
