UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will urge US President Donald Trump on Thursday to provide American military cover to secure peace in Ukraine and to make it clear to Vladimir Putin that any future Russian aggression would be repelled.
Starmer will use the talks at the White House — including one-on-one discussions and a lunch — to reassure Trump that Europe will “step up” and bolster its own defences, including providing troops on the ground to help secure any peace in Ukraine.
In return he wants Trump to provide a US “backstop” to support a European stabilisation force in Ukraine, including air cover, heavy lift aircraft, aerial intelligence and missiles. Starmer said that without such cover, Vladimir Putin would “come again” for Ukraine.
Starmer claims he can be a “bridge” between Europe and Trump’s White House, as he seeks to prevent tensions over the future of Ukraine developing into a full breakdown of the western alliance.
The prime minister announced an increase in UK military spending from 2.3 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent in 2027 — an uplift of £6bn — ahead of the White House meeting, as a signal to Trump of his intent to lead a European rearmament programme.
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