Starmer gives ‘unwavering support for Ukraine’ after White House confrontation

Sir Keir Starmer has expressed his “unwavering support for Ukraine” after speaking with both Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky following their heated exchange in the White House, Downing Street said.

The Prime Minister’s intervention came after a terse exchange in the Oval Office between Ukrainian president Mr Zelensky and the US president.

The two leaders abandoned plans to sign a minerals deal which would have given further US military support in exchange for access to Ukraine’s natural resources.

The US president accused his Ukrainian counterpart of “gambling with World War Three”, and called for Mr Zelensky to be more “thankful” for US support.

The clash comes after weeks in which the relationship between Washington and Kyiv has soured.

Mr Trump had branded Ukraine’s president a dictator for not holding elections, and locked the war-torn country out of preliminary peace talks with Russia.

It also comes just a day after Sir Keir’s visit to the US, regarded as successful because the Prime Minister’s charm offensive with Mr Trump secured support for the Chagos Islands deal and signs that he may be able to hold off US tariffs on British goods.

Downing Street signalled that Sir Keir – who has tried to position the UK as a bridge between Europe and America – had sought to smooth over relations between Ukraine and the US following the White House blowout.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister has tonight spoken to both President Trump and President Zelensky.

“He retains unwavering support for Ukraine, and is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine.”

The statement from Downing Street followed a show of unity from Europe’s political leaders, supporting Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen were among the leaders to express solidarity with Mr Zelensky.

Irish premier Micheal Martin described the Oval Office encounter as “quite extraordinary” and “very unsettling”.

The Taoiseach, who met Mr Zelensky this week, paid tribute to the courage of the Ukrainian leader in his opposition to the Russian invasion.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for “respectable diplomacy” following the meeting, and said a “divided West only benefits Russia”, while SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn suggested the offer to Mr Trump of a second state visit should be revoked.

In an unprecedented series of exchanges in the Oval Office, the US president, his vice president JD Vance and Mr Zelensky all spoke over one another in raised voices.

“You’re gambling with millions of people … You’re gambling with World War Three,” Mr Trump said.

Mr Zelensky warned the US would “feel it in the future” if it did not continue to support Ukraine.

“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem,” Mr Trump hit back.

Mr Vance questioned why Mr Zelensky had not said thank you for US military aid during the meeting.

The vice president was also heard to say to the Ukrainian leader: “Mr President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media.

“Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing an end to this conflict.”

Mr Zelensky left the White House earlier than planned, putting on hold plans for he and Mr Trump to sign the minerals deal.

A news conference featuring the two leaders was also cancelled.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said his Ukrainian counterpart was “not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations”.

But in a sign that Mr Trump is open to further discussions with the Ukrainian leader, he added: “He can come back when he is ready for peace.”

Mr Zelensky meanwhile thanked the president on X following the meeting.

“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you (Mr Trump), Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,” he said.

As he boarded a plane for Florida, Mr Trump later suggested Mr Zelensky wanted to return to the White House for further talks.

“He wants to come back right now, but I can’t do that,” the US president said.

He also said their meeting “didn’t work out exactly great”, adding the Ukrainian leader wanted to “fight, fight, fight” while the US was “looking to end this death”.

Sir Keir will host a gathering of European leaders at Downing Street on Sunday, which Mr Zelensky is expected to attend.

They will discuss the next steps in planning for security guarantees if a Ukraine peace deal is reached – something the Prime Minister believes will have to involve the US.

The leaders will consider how to strengthen Ukraine’s current position, with military support and increased economic pressure on Russia.

The UK wants US military assets to provide surveillance, intelligence and – potentially – warplanes providing air cover to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching another bid to conquer his neighbour.