Keir Starmer Heads to US for High-Stakes Showdown with Donald Trump
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump next week, marking what could be the first official meeting between a European leader and Trump since he began his second term in office.
Downing Street confirmed the visit on Monday, with Starmer scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., for high-level discussions with Trump on trade, investment, and security.
“There’s going to be a wide range of issues that we’ll be working with the new US administration on,” a No. 10 spokesperson stated. “The Prime Minister looks forward to meeting President Trump shortly to discuss how we can deepen the special relationship across trade, investment, and security.”
The announcement comes as Starmer prepares to act as a bridge between Trump and European leaders on the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, Cabinet Minister Jonathan Reynolds acknowledged that this diplomatic effort “is not going to be easy.”
Ahead of his visit to Washington, Starmer will join French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders at an emergency summit in Paris on Monday. The high-stakes meeting will include leaders from Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, along with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and top European Union officials, told Daily Express.
At the summit, Starmer is expected to deliver a strong message that Europe must take greater responsibility within NATO, particularly in securing Ukraine’s future and countering Russian aggression.
“It’s clear that Europe must take on a greater role in NATO as we work with the United States to secure Ukraine’s future and face down the threats we face from Russia,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
The Prime Minister’s remarks follow his recent op-ed in The Telegraph, in which he called for increased European defense spending and a more active role within NATO.
“That will be part of the clear message that he will be delivering in Paris today,” his spokesperson added. “It means increasing defense spending and taking on a greater role in NATO.”
Starmer’s government has also signaled that the UK may be prepared to place troops on the ground in Ukraine as part of broader security guarantees.
“It also means being ready to play a leading role on security guarantees, as we’ve discussed before, in Ukraine, and that includes further supporting Ukraine’s military,” the spokesperson explained. “It also means being ready to contribute to security guarantees by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.”
While Europe is being urged to step up its efforts, Starmer also acknowledged the crucial role of the United States in ensuring Ukraine’s long-term security.
“The United States is going to remain critical on this, and the U.S. security guarantee will be essential for lasting peace,” he stated. “Only the United States can deter (Vladimir) Putin from attacking again, and that will obviously be relevant to the Prime Minister’s discussions with President (Donald) Trump in the coming week.”
As tensions over Ukraine continue, all eyes will be on Starmer’s diplomatic efforts, both in Paris and Washington, as he attempts to navigate the challenges of European unity and U.S. foreign policy under Trump’s leadership.