Donald Trump has insisted that Vladimir Putin would “keep his word” on a peace deal for Ukraine, arguing that US workers extracting critical minerals in the country would act as a security backstop to deter Russia from invading again. The remarks came during talks at the White House with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, as the US president refused to commit to deploying American forces to support a European-led peacekeeping force.
Sitting alongside Starmer in the Oval Office, Trump said he believed Putin would not breach any agreement, despite the brutal three-year conflict that has seen Russia seize Ukrainian territory. He added that any deal would aim to return “as much as we can” of the land. However, he stopped short of providing firm security guarantees, instead suggesting that a multibillion-dollar US stake in Ukraine’s rare earths sector would be enough of a deterrent. “I don’t think anybody’s going to play around if we’re there with a lot of workers,” he said.
Starmer stressed that the UK is ready to “put boots on the ground and planes in the air” to support a deal, working with European allies. He described the plan discussed with Trump as “tough and fair” and one that Ukraine would help shape. The prime minister also delivered a letter from King Charles offering Trump an unprecedented second state visit, to which Trump responded positively, calling Starmer “an outstanding person”.
Trump indicated the US would make “great trade agreements” with the UK that could progress “very quickly”, and appeared to make a significant concession on the Chagos Islands, saying he was “inclined” to back the deal struck by Starmer. The talks came at a precarious moment for European security, as the new US administration aligns with Russia, breaking years of transatlantic consensus on Ukraine.
