Chequers (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Donald Trump warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “really let me down” after he met Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, the final day of the US president’s historic UK state visit. A day after King Charles III treated him to royal pageantry at Windsor Castle, Trump appeared at a news conference with Starmer and spared him the harsh criticism he has doled out to other leaders — although he suggested the UK leader could use the military to curb immigration.
Starmer meanwhile gently nudged Trump on Ukraine and called for more pressure on Putin, as he tries to bridge the divide between Trump and European allies on Kyiv. Trump, who has long been friendly with Putin, then issued a rebuke to the Russian leader for continuing the war. “The one that I thought would be easiest would be because of my relationship with President Putin, but he’s let me down,” Trump said. “He’s really let me down.” He urged European nations to stop buying Russian oil, saying that “if the price of oil comes down, Putin’s going to drop out of that war.”
– ‘Unbreakable bond’ – Referring to Starmer, Trump said “one of our few disagreements” was over the UK’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state. The US leader, embroiled in an immigration crackdown at home, offered his thoughts on immigration in Britain, revealing: “I told the prime minister I would stop it”, even if it meant calling in the military. But for the rest of the time at the prime minister’s official country house north of London, the two leaders seemed on the same page, as Trump hailed America’s “unbreakable bond” with Britain and signed a huge tech cooperation deal with Starmer.
At the signing ceremony attended by a host of US tech CEOs, Starmer said he and Trump were “leaders who genuinely like each other.” The deal comes on the back of pledges of £150 billion ($205 billion) of investment into the UK from US giants including Microsoft, Google and Blackstone. Trump had earlier said goodbye to King Charles at Windsor, calling him a “great gentleman and a great king.” The US president and First Lady Melania Trump wrapped up their visit later Thursday, flying out after less than 48 hours on British soil.
– ‘Highest honours’ – With investment deals and a deepening alignment on Ukraine to show for the diplomatic effort, Starmer can claim some justification for granting Trump an unprecedented second state visit. But the British leader still faces political trouble at home after sacking his ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over his connections to disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Sex offender Epstein has also haunted Trump in recent weeks with further revelations about the pair’s relationship in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Trump, however, helped Starmer out by claiming not to know Mandelson — despite having hosted the envoy in the Oval Office to seal Britain’s trade deal with the US in May. Trump was lavished with the full pomp of the British state on Wednesday — the second time it has done so, after his first visit in 2019. “This is truly one of the highest honours of my life,” Trump said at the state banquet. The king meanwhile hailed Trump’s peace efforts and support for Ukraine after a day featuring gun salutes, soldiers on horseback and bagpipes — all designed to appeal to the US president’s fascination with royalty.
Melania remained in Windsor on Thursday morning, where she met scouts with Princess Catherine and viewed Queen Mary’s Doll’s House with Queen Camilla. The US first lady’s husband, though, was kept far from the British public, with an estimated 5,000 people marching through central London Wednesday to protest against his visit.
© 2024 AFP
