Starmer Tells Trump U.K. Ready To 'Put Boots On Ground,' Doesn't Get Backstop Commitment

By Todd Prince February 27, 2025

WASHINGTON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to demonstrate strong U.S.-U.K. ties during a White House meeting with President Donald Trump amid growing fault lines in the transatlantic relationship over Ukraine and trade.

Starmer traveled to Washington on February 27 to urge Trump to guarantee Ukraine's security should Kyiv reach a deal with Moscow to end Russia's three-year full-scale invasion of the country.

Trump, who took office a month ago, has moved aggressively to end the war in Ukraine, shocking his European counterparts by speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin and ordering his national security team to hold bilateral talks with Russia.

Now, European leaders, fearing Trump could reach a deal over their heads, are traveling to Washington to steer the U.S. president away from an agreement with Russia that could hurt Ukraine and undermine European security.

At a White House news conference with Trump following their bilateral meeting, Starmer reiterated that Britain is ready to set up and contribute to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine if a deal is reached.

"The U.K. is ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a deal, working together with our allies, because that is the only way that peace will last," Starmer said.

"We have to get it right. We have to win the peace. It can't be peace that rewards the aggressor. History must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader," Starmer said.

Trump did not commit to backstopping a European troop presence, a key ask of Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, who traveled to Washington on February 24.

Instead, Trump indicated a U.S. backstop wouldn't be necessary because Putin could be trusted not to violate a peace deal.

European leaders disagree. At his news conference with Trump, Macron said Putin had violated previous agreements with Ukraine, underscoring why strong deterrence that included a U.S. backstop was necessary.

Softer Language

Trump softened his language on Ukraine during the news conference. He praised the country's tenacity in defending its land and avoided criticism of the country or its leader, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Last week, Trump got into a spat with Zelenskyy, falsely blaming Ukraine for the war and calling the Ukrainian leader a "dictator" who doesn't hold elections. When asked about those comments at the press conference, Trump brushed them off.

Trump is due to meet Zelenskyy on February 28 at the White House to sign a framework agreement on the development of mineral deposits, including rare earth metals and fossil fuels.

Trump says the deal will allow the United States to recoup some of the aid it has sent to Ukraine over the past three years while also stimulating Ukrainian economic growth.

""It is like a huge economic development project. So it'll be good for both countries," the U.S. president said.

Zelenskyy is also expected to ask Trump to continue sending weapons to Ukraine while the fighting continues and offering his country a security guarantee once it ends.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/starmer-trump-washington- meeting/33330730.html

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Starmer Tells Trump U.K. Ready To 'Put Boots On Ground,' Doesn't Get Backstop Commitment