Donald Trump warned that Russia President Vladimir Putin had “really let me down” as he met Prime Minister Keir Starmer for wide-ranging talks on Thursday, the final day of the US president’s historic UK state visit.
A day after King Charles III treated Trump to royal pageantry at Windsor Castle, the Republican flew to Starmer’s Chequers country residence for talks on thorny issues including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Starmer has positioned himself as a bridge between Trump and European allies, particularly on the war in Ukraine, in a bid to secure more commitments for Kyiv from the US leader.
And his calls, repeated again on Thursday, for more international pressure on Putin appear to be gaining more traction with Trump, who slammed the Russian leader for continuing the war despite his efforts to stop the fighting.
Trump, who criticized the Russian leader for carrying on the war in spite of his attempts to halt it, seems to be responding favorably to his calls for further international pressure on Putin, which he reiterated on Thursday.
At a news conference following his remarks, Trump stated that he had believed that the crisis in Ukraine would be the “easiest” to resolve “because of my relationship with President Putin, but he’s let me down.” He has truly disappointed me.
He urged European nations to cease buying Russian oil, stating that “if the price of oil comes down, Putin’s going to drop out of that war.”
Starmer’s cordial approach with the 79-year-old Trump has gained him some leeway in the president’s tariff war; on Thursday, the British leader declared that the May trade agreement between the two nations was “the best” and the first the US had ever signed.
Regarding the UK’s proposal to recognize a Palestinian state, however, Trump claimed that the two had “one of our few disagreements.”
Along with expressing strong opinions against illegal immigration in the UK, the US leader disclosed that “I told the Prime Minister I would stop it,” even if it took deploying the military.
As he and Starmer inked a massive tech contract earlier in the day, strengthening links in nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, Trump celebrated America’s “unbreakable bond” with Britain.
Labour leader Starmer described himself and Republican Trump as “leaders who genuinely like each other” during the signing event, which was attended by numerous US tech CEOs.
The agreement follows promises from US behemoths like Microsoft, Google, and Blackstone to spend £150 billion ($205 billion) in the UK.
Trump had earlier referred to King Charles as a “great gentleman and a great king” when he said goodbye at Windsor and made his way to Chequers.
Having negotiated the potentially risky press conference somewhat undamaged, Starmer may claim some justification for allowing Trump an extraordinary second state visit, with business deals and deepening alignment on Ukraine to show for the diplomatic effort.
Trump was Wednesday bestowed with the full pomp and grandeur of the British state – the second time it has done so, after his first visit in 2019.
Trump remarked during the state banquet, “This is one of the greatest honors of my life.”
Following a day filled with cannon salutes, horse-drawn soldiers, and bagpipes—all of which were intended to capitalize on the US president’s preoccupation with royalty—the monarch praised Trump’s peace initiatives and assistance for Ukraine.
However, he also emphasized to Trump the importance of preserving the environment for “respective of our children, grandchildren, and their descendants.”
On Thursday morning, Melania Trump stayed in Windsor, where she and Princess Catherine greeted scouts and toured Queen Mary’s Doll’s House with Queen Camilla.
In protest of the US first lady’s husband’s visit, an estimated 5,000 people marched through downtown London on Wednesday, keeping him away from the British public.
Later Thursday, Trump was scheduled to travel to Washington.
