Keir Starmer, the Labour Prime Minister, praised his “good relationship” with Donald Trump just hours before the US President’s special envoy criticized Starmer’s Ukraine peace plan as “a posture and a pose.” Steve Witkoff, leading US ceasefire negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, described Starmer’s proposal for a peacekeeping force composed of a “coalition of the willing” as based on a “simplistic” notion, likening it to an unrealistic expectation that “we have all got to be like Winston Churchill.”
In an interview with a pro-Trump commentator, Witkoff also expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating, “I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy. He’s super smart.” He dismissed concerns about Russian aggression in Europe, calling them “preposterous” and highlighting NATO’s role in preventing such scenarios.
Starmer, however, emphasized his personal rapport with Trump, telling a major US publication, “On a person-to-person basis, I think we have a good relationship.” He added, “I like and respect him. I understand what he’s trying to achieve.” Starmer also recounted how, during a tense meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, the UK faced pressure to publicly criticize the situation. Instead, Starmer opted to mediate privately, saying, “I took the view that it was better to pick up the phone and talk to both sides to try and get them back on the same page.”
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves expressed confidence that the UK could avoid potentially damaging US tariffs set to be imposed soon. She hinted at possible adjustments to a tax on tech companies to mitigate the economic impact, which experts warn could further strain the UK’s struggling economy.
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