President Trump said Thursday that he had trusted President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia not to violate the terms of a potential peace agreement with Ukraine, when he refused to promise US military support to a peacekeeping force.
“I think he will last,” Trump said about Mr. Putin, welcoming British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the White House.
From Mr. Putin, the president said: “I have known him for a long time now.”
The comments of Mr. Trump underlined his adoption of Mr. Putin one day before the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, became in Washington to finalize an agreement to Share income from mineral sources with the United States. Trump was the subject of access to Ukrainian minerals to compensate billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid that the United States has delivered to Ukraine for three years.
During the first weeks of his presidency, Trump put an end to the diplomatic isolation of Russia, wrongly accused of Ukraine of starting war with Russia and has repeatedly deny Mr. Zelensky, in particular by calling him a “dictator”. He seemed to change his air on Thursday, however, predicting that the two would have a good meeting in person.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” said Trump, although he died a question to find out if he would apologize to Mr. Zelensky on Friday for the comment of the “dictator”.
Starmer was the last in a series of European leaders to come to Washington in the hope of reasoning with Mr. Trump while he pushes negotiations with the Russians to end the war. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, visited earlier this week.
“History must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader,” said Starmer while he was standing next to Mr. Trump in the east house of the White House. The comments were sharper than those of Mr. Macron and other leaders, who hesitated to subtly repel Mr. Trump during the visit of the White House.
“The United Kingdom is ready to put boots in the field and airplanes to support an agreement, working closely with our allies,” said Starmer. “Because it is the only way to last peace.”
The British Prime Minister used the visit to give a letter from King Charles III inviting Mr. Trump for a state visit, which makes it the first time that an American president was offered the honor twice. (Queen Elizabeth II welcomed Mr. Trump for a state dinner during his first mandate.)
After opening the king’s letter, Trump called him “a great and great gentleman”.
But Mr. Starmer’s efforts to push Mr. Trump in the direction of Ukraine – even with the promise of a historical visit of the State – did not seem to have worked. Trump made no mention of the American forces supporting a peacekeeping mission which included British troops.
The Prime Minister’s attitude towards Mr. Putin could hardly be more different from that of Mr. Trump.
In the oval office on Thursday afternoon, Mr. Trump was asked what would happen if Great Britain sent peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, only for Russia to agree on a peace agreement. Would the Americans help the British in Ukraine if Russia resumed the attack?
In the space of a minute, Mr. Trump seemed to say no (“they can very well take care of themselves”), then yes (“if they need help, I will always be with the British”), before backing up on no (“they do not need help”).
“Could you face Russia by yourself?” Trump asked Mr. Starmer, with vice-president JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio seated nearby. Uncomfortable laughs broke out in the room. Ukraine has already felt the consequences of low security agreements: in December 1994, it abandoned its Soviet nuclear weapons, which were still controlled by Moscow, and the United States, Great Britain and Russia have agreed to respect the existing borders of Ukraine.
The agreement was proven to be without value when Russia seized Crimea in 2014. And although the agreement supported the weapons and information of the Ukrainians in 2022 at the start of the Russian large-scale invasion, neither Great Britain nor the United States provided troops.
Beyond the diplomatic jokes of the time, the two men had to have difficult conversations on the future of Ukraine and if a peace agreement leads to concessions to Russia.
Mr. Starmer was ready to urge Mr. Trump not to rush into a diplomatic resolution in the conflict without ensuring that Ukraine has received security guarantees that would prevent Russia from decreasing again.
But the White House officials said Thursday morning before the meeting that discuss the mineral agreement of the rare land – which Mr. Trump said that the United States needed – does not include such guarantees.
