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U.S. President Trump & UK PM Starmer Meet At White House; U.S. President Trump & UK PM Starmer Take Questions At White House. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired February 27, 2025 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:42]
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN HOST: Welcome, everyone. It is 8:00 p.m. in London, 3:00 p.m. in New York. I'm Omar Jimenez.
Thank you so much for joining me today on CNN NEWSROOM.
Let's get right to the news.
We're going to start in Washington, where U.S. President Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are scheduled to hold a joint news conference any minute now. We're watching for that to begin.
They've been meeting behind closed doors at the White House and last hour spoke to reporters. And this is all happening one day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Washington. And really, these days could be a pivotal moment in efforts by allies to broker peace in Russia's war against Ukraine.
Now, senior officials say the U.K. leader will discuss the possibility of American security guarantees for Kyiv and a lasting peace. Mr. Starmer is delivering his own message that Britain is prepared to shoulder some of the responsibility for Ukraine, with its own increased defense spending.
Now, President Trump is still insisting no U.S. troops on the ground, saying Europe should be doing that, also adding that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wouldn't invade Ukraine again after a potential deal is made.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think he'll keep his word. I think I think he's -- I've spoken to him. I've known him for a long time now, you know, I've known him.
We had -- we had to go through the Russian hoax together. That was not a good thing. It's not fair. That was a rigged deal and had nothing to do with Russia. It was a rigged deal with inside the country. And they had to put up with that.
Do they put up with a lot? It wasn't just us. They had to put up with it with a phony story that was made up. I've known him for a long time now, and I think he will -- I don't
believe he's going to violate his word. I don't think he'll be back when we make a deal. I think the deal is going to hold.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Now, President Trump also addressed issues that would and would not be on the table in discussions with Prime Minister Starmer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The ask is about the land. Will you get your land back? Well, they fought long and hard on the land and you and I will be discussing that. And we're going to certainly try and get as much as we can back. But on the NATO, it's just not -- that's not going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: All right. We're covering this story from a lot of different angles. Clare Sebastian is standing by in London. I believe we have Alex Marquardt in Washington as well. We're still continuing to wait for this press conference.
Alex, I want to start with you, because, you know, today's talks are critical in terms of -- of Ukraine's future. Really, this week has been in trying to secure a peace deal.
Can you just talk us through where both leaders are at this point, because they seem to be at odds over what's needed to provide long term security for Ukraine?
ALEXANDER MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I think we need to look at the prime minister's visit as part of an ongoing series. Macron we had from France on Monday, the French president, and tomorrow we have the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. So, of course, there are going to be issues like the economy, trade tech that that the U.S. and U.K. are going to talk about, that are unique to their relationship.
But this is very much about Ukraine, Omar, and this ongoing effort by the Europeans, those three countries that I mentioned and others to try to get the United States to agree to some kind of security guarantees. Now, what that means is, is a system that Europe and the U.S. would put in place to make sure that Russia would not be able to invade Ukraine again. That's, of course, assuming that they can get to a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. And that's a very big assumption for now.
The French and the Brits have talked about putting a peacekeeping force on the ground of some 30,000 soldiers from their countries, and likely from others. But the U.S. has ruled out -- President Trump has ruled out putting U.S. soldiers on the ground. So what -- what Keir Starmer is going to be trying to do as we speak behind closed doors is to get the U.S. to a place where they will offer some kind of military assets, perhaps not even inside Ukraine, but perched on the border. Whether it's long range missiles or other kinds of logistical support or intelligence support aircraft, for example, and the U.S. has not been committal.
We saw earlier in this meeting that we're showing now on the screen, Starmer stayed away from the term security guarantees. And he was talking about how both countries agree that a long term peace is needed, a peace that that -- that endures.
[15:05:02]
And what he was getting at there is essentially guarantees without saying the word guarantee. So this is an uphill battle for Starmer, for Zelenskyy tomorrow. This is an ongoing campaign by these Europeans -- Omar.
JIMENEZ: An uphill battle, as it was for Macron when he was here earlier this week as well.
And, Clare, I want to bring you in because as Alex talked about, it has been a series of European leaders that we've seen in Washington this week critical for the future of Ukraine, but also for -- for Europe. And the prime minister came prepared with a royal offering of sorts.
Can you just tell us about this and what we are likely to hear from both men, and maybe how effective this might be?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think we -- we certainly don't know yet, Omar, how effective this is going to be. But I think a measure of just how critical this moment was for the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and just how high the stakes are for him, was that we literally we saw this sort of highly symbolic move. He brought a letter from King Charles inviting president Trump to a second state visit.
He then proceeded to describe it. And, you know, I think what I can only describe as Trump style superlatives, he called it unprecedented. He said it would be really special. He said the last one was great, but the king wants this one to be even better. And he even described the relationship between the two countries as the greatest alliance for prosperity and security the world has ever seen.
He was, you know, confident in to some degree. There was even some sort of shoulder patting, sort of similar, but slightly more British than we saw from Macron. So this was clearly Keir Starmer, you know, trying this charm offensive, really trying to -- to build this rapport with Trump as he embarks on this mammoth task of persuading the U.S. to put some real military muscle behind some kind of postwar security guarantees for Ukraine. And really, there is no conclusion yet on that.
On the one hand, President Trump, who has been moving at lightning speed in embarking on these talks with Russia, is trying to slow things down, saying don't want to get ahead of a deal when talking about peacekeepers. But on the other hand, he said, you know, this rare earth deal that he is expected to sign with President Zelenskyy in Washington tomorrow is a backstop in itself, he said, because he would have U.S. workers in Ukraine exploiting these minerals and no one would want to, and I quote, play around.
Now, U.S. workers exploiting critical minerals is not a military backstop. So I think that, again, a sign of just how much work still needs to be done to get to the point of actually talking about this, this security guarantee. But for Keir Starmer a really big moment, a really big opportunity. And I think we'll have to see if he comes out with any actual deliverables. Obviously, the main point here is to try to pave the way for a successful meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy tomorrow.
JIMENEZ: Yeah. And as you were speaking, we were showing some live images from inside the room where we do expect Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump to begin their press conference any minute now.
While we continue to wait, Alex, I just want to ask one more question on something you brought up, too, because obviously the United States has not has ruled out at this point, U.S. troops on the ground in any peacekeeping capacity. But there are other ways, potentially they -- the United States, could support military efforts, whether it be from the U.K., France, other European partners as well.
What are some of those other methods where the United States could perhaps operate in a supplementary role without actually having potentially boots on the ground?
MARQUARDT: Yeah. And this is where Starmer today was trying to put a little bit more meat on the bone. I think Macron kind of set the table, if I'm going to belabor this metaphor, and it's Starmer who's now trying to be a bit more specific. And so we know that Starmer has wanted this backstop, as Clare mentioned. And what I -- what I'd be curious to hear about in this press conference, hopefully, is what exactly Starmer imagines that to be and Trump may or may not have -- have agreed to in this meeting. And so we've been asking this of our American and British sources, what exactly could that look like? And it's -- it's a menu of options, of military options. And if we're -- if we're thinking about what could happen outside of the country because it appears, at least for now, that Trump has taken the possibility of U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine. What -- what assets could be positioned in Poland, for example, or other neighboring NATO countries?
They often talk about heavy lift aircraft. So we're talking about cargo planes from the U.S. Air Force that could transport not just troops, but equipment and ammunition. For example, you could have air defense systems like the -- the very powerful, much vaunted Patriot air defense system, which Ukraine currently has a few of. Right now, you could have a couple of those positioned outside of Poland. You could have aircraft gathering all kinds of intelligence. You could have a long range missiles, all of this stuff positioned outside of Ukraine in a way that is not seen necessarily as all that antagonistic of Russia, but as a clear warning to Russia that if they were to reinvade the country, it could be brought in essentially at a moments notice.
[15:10:09] That could be the kind of backstop that that Keir Starmer is looking for. I am struck by something else that that Clare Sebastian just said, this letter that the British prime minister handed over to the American president. It just really reinforces how transactional President Trump is seen and how he needs to be seen as getting something from other countries. This letter, this invitation from -- from King Charles.
I imagine at some point, we'll probably see King Charles and perhaps his son, Prince William, meeting with the American president, because that is the kind of thing that that President Trump does enjoy. Tomorrow, this deal for minerals, that that President Zelenskyy is going to be signing, that is something that Ukraine is giving to the United States.
And then a couple of weeks ago, we also had the king of Jordan on a completely separate subject, talking about how he was willing to take in 2,000 children from Gaza. So one by one, these leaders sitting in the Oval Office across from the American president, giving him something, in order to, you know, be in his good graces, essentially, Omar.
JIMENEZ: And in many cases, hearing President Trump say positions that some of those leaders we know at this point were -- were opposed to and sort of seeing the interaction between -- between both of them in real time, always fascinating.
Clare Sebastian, Alex Marquardt, really appreciate the time and reporting, as always.
I want to expand the conversation and bring in Matthew Karnitschnig. He is the editor in chief of "Euractiv", which covers European news and E.U. policy. He was also former chief Europe correspondent for "Politico".
So again, we're waiting to -- for this press conference to start. So forgive me if I have to jump in the middle of your answer.
But again, just to start, what are you looking to hear from this press conference when these two men step out in just a few moments here.
MATTHEW KARNITSCHNIG, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, EURACTIV: Well, I'm particularly looking for any specifics, as we just heard on the backstop or what the United States is really willing to do here in terms of guaranteeing Ukrainian security here, if they are getting 50 percent of Ukraine's mineral wealth as part of this arrangement that Trump hopes to sign tomorrow with, President Zelenskyy.
The question is, what is the U.S. willing to do in return? And also in terms of the potential peacekeeping mission by European countries in Ukraine, if there is a peace deal, what the United States is willing to do to guarantee their security, because Trump has indicated previously, or members of the Trump administration have said previously that these peacekeeping troops would not be covered under NATO, under the NATO protection clause, as it were, Article Five, which really raises questions about, you know, why would any European country really be willing to send a large number of troops into Ukraine -- if -- if they are completely exposed?
So there are a lot of open questions here about how far Trump is willing to go. And as we heard earlier in the program, Trump is again, really going to great lengths to give Vladimir Putin the benefit of the doubt, to give the Russians the benefit of the doubt, and has been very reluctant to criticize them. So, if I were in a Ukrainian position right now, if I were in the Ukrainian government, I wouldn't have a lot of optimism here about what the United States, what this White House is willing to do to help.
JIMENEZ: And, you know, this visit obviously comes right in the middle of when French President Emmanuel Macron visited earlier this week and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit tomorrow. They all really seem to be asking for the same type of security guarantees in any sort of peace deal, which, again, is its own hurdle in itself. Trump has not seemed enthusiastic to come around, but do you believe it'll ultimately be on Europe for -- to secure those for those security guarantees? Or do you believe the United States will have to be involved in some official deterrence capacity for any agreement to last?
KARNITSCHNIG: Well, I think the Europeans are in a very difficult position because they do not have the capability. If we're honest, they do not have the capability to provide these guarantees for Ukraine. And that's really what is at issue here. And this is why you are seeing the president of France go to -- go to Washington, why we're seeing Starmer there today, the prime minister of the U.K.
And this has to be almost humiliating in a way, when you see these press conferences between the president of the United States and the prime minister of the United Kingdom. And, you know, Starmer was almost, you know, obsequious towards Trump reading this letter saying, I brought a letter from the king of England who is inviting you again to come for a state visit.
[15:15:03]
And this has never happened before.
So, you know, this shows how nervous the Europeans are, because they know that they do not have the resources or the capability to stop Russia if it were to continue to move into Ukraine, if the United States stops delivering weapons and support for Ukraine, the Europeans cannot fill that gap. And this is not something where you can just flip a switch and say, we're going to throw a lot more money at this next year or in the coming months, and we're going to solve the problem.
This is a question of years, if not decades, to build the -- the kind of military might that the United States has. And, you know, just one figure here is the nuclear arsenal. The United States has over 5,000 nuclear warheads at its disposal, as does Russia and the Europeans cumulatively have a few hundred. So they cannot stand toe to toe with the Russians, and they know it.
JIMENEZ: And, you know, I also think of the posturing of Germany's likely chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who -- I mean, he's essentially urged Europe to achieve independence from the United States. And I know every European country is sort of wrestling with -- with its relationship with defense spending, its relationship with the United States.
But how much of an appetite is there throughout Europe for what we've heard from, again, the likely German leader that, you know what? Let's -- let's not actually go and try to kiss the ring and kiss their feet, let's try and achieve more of an independent posturing on our own?
KARNITSCHNIG: Well, this has been a long running sort of narrative in Europe that it needs to be more independent of the United States. We heard the same thing from Angela Merkel, the former German chancellor, some years ago, and we've also heard it from the French President Macron, who came up with this idea of what he called strategic autonomy. And unfortunately, we haven't seen much progress on that front, unfortunately for the -- for the Europeans, certainly.
And, you know, Mertz is in a similar position. He made this comment sort of off the cuff a few hours after he won the election on a television show, and 24 hours later, he was walking it back because at some point, reality sets in and people look at the numbers, they look at the -- the sort of cold reality of where Europe's security position is and the degree to which Europe still relies on the United States, also for things like intelligence, you know, for pretty much every aspect of their security, they would be completely paralyzed without the American security umbrella, and they know it.
And Friedrich Merz knows it. And this is why I think he will probably be the next person doing a pilgrimage to Washington as soon as he's sworn in as chancellor.
JIMENEZ: Matthew Karnitschnig, really appreciate the time and perspective. Thanks for being here.
KARNITSCHNIG: Thank you.
JIMENEZ: Now, just hours before the Trump-Starmer meeting, Russia's president had his own message to what he called western elites. Do not try to undermine the U.S. Russian relations. Vladimir Putin said he was pleased with the diplomatic thaw and that contacts with the U.S. administration give him hope.
But he did say if Europe interfered, Moscow would thwart such efforts. And it came as U.S. and Russian delegations met in Turkey on Thursday for a second round of talks that aimed at normalizing relations.
Our chief global affairs correspondent, Matthew Chance, is tracking this story from Moscow.
So, Matthew, the timing of these comments by President Putin are key because they come as Prime Minister Starmer meets Trump, and as we prepare to see Zelenskyy in Washington.
So, Putin sees this and thinks, what? MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I
mean, I think that the Russians have been sort of putting the brakes a little bit on the progress or on the pace, at least of -- of developments in terms of the relationship with the United States. They haven't rushed towards a summit meeting between the two presidents, for example, and they focused more on trying to get some of the more sort of bilateral issues, like rebuilding their embassies, you know, building those back up to strength, back underway, before they get to that point, which is what those meetings in Istanbul are about.
At the same time, you heard there Vladimir Putin, he was speaking to members of the security services here, the FSB, being very positive about the progress that's been made and the words coming out of Washington while warning about, you know, what he called western elites trying to continue instability in the world. But, you know, nevertheless, you know, still some, you know, sort of reticence. You get a sense from some of his words. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): First contacts with the new U.S. administration, give certain hopes. There is mutual determination to work, restoration of relations between the two countries.
[15:20:07]
We understand that not everybody welcomes restoration of Russia and U.S. contacts. Some western elites keep seeking instability in the world, and these forces will try to disrupt and undermine the dialogue which has begun. You and I can see it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: So, Omar, there's a couple of things which are potential obstacles. Obviously, the Russians are saying they're all in favor of peace talks with the United States about Ukraine, but that Putin has been very careful to draw some red lines as well. For instance, both the Russian presidency and the foreign ministry have made it clear that European peacekeepers would not be acceptable to police any kind of deal that's reached in the future. That's something that President Trump, time and again, refers to the possibility of -- of Europe taking control of security if there is a peace deal.
The other issue, which is a potentially major stumbling block, is the issue of territorial concessions on the part of Russia, because Russia, remember, has annexed, you know, amongst other things, for regions of Ukraine, its unilaterally done that its absorbed legally under the Russian law, at least those areas into the Russian constitution, into the Russian Federation, even though it doesn't control all of those areas that its annexed.
And -- and what the Russians have said and what Putin said is that that's a red line for them. They're not prepared to give up that territory that they've -- that they've annexed and formally absorbed into the Russian Federation. So what President Trump says, look, he's going to try and get as much Ukrainian territory back as he possibly can. The Russians are really, it seems, digging their heels in, at least ahead of these negotiations about what? What land they intend to hold on to and even take more of, in -- in any peace deal, Omar.
JIMENEZ: And, you know, some of the criticism in Europe and some -- from some foreign ministers is that President Trump, at least in the relations he's had with them, has made no concessions, as you mentioned, no to peacekeepers, no concessions on land, no to Ukraine joining NATO. And today that was reinforced by -- by Dmitry Peskov as well.
How delicate of a situation is this right now as Putin tries to negotiate with Trump or the Russians try to negotiate with the Americans right now, while America also weighs its relationship with Europe. What is this dynamic here?
CHANCE: Well, look, I mean, obviously, it's a very delicate one and a very difficult one for all the parties concerned. But -- I mean, I have to say that I think Russia is, you know, despite its sort of caution about the possibility of a peace deal being forged, it is, you know, somewhat enjoying, I think, the site of the Western allies kind of, you know, kind of, you know, in disarray, that's been a long standing objective to undermine the Western institutions of Russian foreign policy that that predates the Ukraine war.
And so, you know, that's something that is already Putin -- is something Putin's already achieved. The other sort of major achievement that that Putin has secured is this idea that he's being spoken to face to face directly with the U.S. president is at the top table of international diplomacy again, and that must make him and others in the Kremlin extremely satisfied. Indeed, regardless of what the outcome of any talks are.
JIMENEZ: Matthew Chance, really appreciate the reporting. Thanks for the time perspective as always, as we also continue to keep an eye on an expected press conference to begin any moment now between the U.S. president and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
So were going to keep an eye on that. But we've also got other stories we are tracking for you as well, including just ahead, self-styled misogynist influencer Andrew Tate and his brother are back in Florida today, but they're still facing rape and human trafficking charges. We're going to have a live report coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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JIMENEZ: Welcome back, everyone.
We are continuing to wait for a press conference between the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump that is expected to get started any moment now. Now, over the course of today, they've been meeting behind closed doors. They did speak to reporters as part of a bilateral meeting in the oval office a little bit earlier today, but for the most part have been behind closed doors and a lot to discuss.
Keir Starmer is the second European leader to visit Washington, D.C. this week. Earlier this week, we saw French Prime Minister -- French President Emmanuel Macron visit Starmer today. And then we do expect Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit tomorrow. And really, the clear purpose for the European leaders visiting the United States this week is to try and cement any further security guarantees for any potential peace deal that may be struck between Ukraine and Russia at this point.
So far, the United States has not budged on its position that it wants Europe to handle the majority, if not all, of the security guarantees for any potential peace deal.
But, of course, Europe, their position is they need the United States to have any sort of security guarantee that is lasting. And that was the prime argument of French President Emmanuel Macron, that he did not want any sort of repeat of previous peace deals that have collapsed with Russia in years past.
As I mentioned, they met behind closed doors at the White House a little bit earlier today. This is happening a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit. And the purpose of that visit, at least from what we've heard on the United States side, is that this is for that visit. The Ukrainian visit would be to sign a rare earths mineral deal.
Now, Trump says Zelenskyy will be signing on, of which Zelenskyy has said it is only a preliminary agreement. Here is the United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump for their press conference. Let's listen in.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Great honor.
Today, it's my privilege to welcome the prime minister of a very special place, the United Kingdom, to the White House.
Prime Minister Starmer, you have been terrific in our discussions. You're a very tough negotiator. However, I'm not sure I like that, but that's okay. Very, very special person.
The prime minister and I have gotten off to an outstanding start. The U.S. and U.K. have a special relationship. Very special. Really, like no other passed down through the centuries.
[15:30:01]
And we're going to keep it that way. We're going to keep it very strong as it is.
Very importantly, I was just notified by letter from King Charles that he's extended through the prime minister, a historic second state visit to the United Kingdom. And that's a great honor because it's never happened before. One person has never been extended that honor, and I really do call it an honor, but it's not for me. It's for our country. It's respect for our country.
So I just want to thank you, and I want to thank King Charles. Thank you very much. And we accept.
I don't know if the media is going to follow us. I have a feeling they might. Okay. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
I'm pleased to say that the bust of one of the prime minister's greatest predecessors, Winston Churchill, is now back in the rightful place in the Oval Office, and we're very proud of it. Our meeting today and the various breakout sessions we had, were tremendously productive.
Most importantly, I provided the prime minister with an update on our efforts to end the bloody and horrible war in Ukraine with Russia, which would never have happened if I were president. That was not going to happen. I promise you that.
After three years of hellacious conflict, approximately 1 million Ukrainians and Russians have been senselessly killed. But the number, I believe, is much higher than that. Countless schools, hospitals, towns and beautiful ancient churches have been absolutely obliterated to begin the process of ending this spiral of death.
I had historic back to back calls with President Putin, very successful calls, I might add, and President Zelenskyy and my team also spoke with the secretary general of NATO and numerous occasions, and we're working very hard to get that war brought to an end.
I think we've made a lot of progress. I think its moving along pretty rapidly, and I want to thank all of the people that are here that have been working on it, and we'll let you know what's -- what happens. It will either be fairly soon or it won't be at all.
In addition, this week, I met with President Macron of France, as you know, and held talks with members of the G7. Tomorrow, the progress toward peace will continue when President Zelenskyy visits the White House. He'll be here tomorrow in the early part of the day, and we'll be signing a historic agreement that will make the United States a major partner in developing Ukraine's minerals and rare earths and oil and gases, and we have a great understanding.
I think it's going to be great for Ukraine. Were going to be at the site and we'll be -- we'll be digging. We'll be dig, dig, dig, dig we must.
A big utility in New York, Con Edison. They used to have a sign, dig we must. And we will be digging.
But much of the European aid to Ukraine has been sent in the form of loans for which they expect to be paid back, and we didn't have that honor under the Biden administration. He sent money or just send it money after money after money, and never had any, any knowledge of ever seeing it back, maybe $300 billion to $350 billion.
But under the breakthrough agreement, very unusual, which everyone said was difficult to get. But it's really very good for Ukraine and very good for us, the American taxpayers will now effectively be reimbursed for the money and hundreds of billions of dollars poured into helping Ukraine defend itself, which by and of itself is a very worthy thing to do.
We've paid far more than any other country, and with most of our support, it's been paid in military, the finest weapons anywhere in the world. This includes vast amounts of military hardware, ammunition, and various other things that we now have to start rebuilding our own stockpiles.
Additionally, the minerals agreement will provide the basis for a more sustainable future relationship between the United States and Ukraine and thus stimulate the long term prosperity that will help the Ukrainians rebuild their country. It's been demolished and the ruined infrastructure, the infrastructure, as you know, is in very bad shape.
In just over one month, our administration has already achieved more progress toward peace than years in the other administration, where they did nothing toward peace. They didn't understand what was happening.
Our approach is basically common sense. As I said, so many of the things that we do are based on common sense.
[15:35:02]
If you want peace, you have to talk both sides. As I discussed with Prime Minister Starmer, the next step were making is toward a very achievable cease fire. We hope that that can happen quickly because, thousands of young people in this case, we're not talking about Americans. We're talking about Ukrainians and Russians are being killed every week, thousands. And it's a rough battlefield. It's a flat piece of land. And the bullet only stops when it hits somebody.
And this week I saw the reports, and it's -- it's. I don't even want to say what -- what they are, but thousands of people, young people, young, vibrant people died. And we want to stop that senseless should have never happened.
This will lay the groundwork for a long term peace agreement that will return stability to Eastern Europe and hopefully ensure that such a terrible war will never happen on European soil, or for that matter, anywhere again. It's a -- it's a horrible thing that's going on. The disaster in Ukraine shows exactly why it's so important for the United Kingdom and other NATO partners to make large investments in their defense capabilities.
In many cases, 4 percent or 5 percent of GDP would be appropriate. I know that they're raising it. I just read an article, a great article about the work you're doing in the U.K. As to the military, you're raising it quite a bit, which is a great thing to do for your country. It's a great thing to do.
It's sad that we need that, but probably need that. So congratulations on that. I know you got it through. After years of chronic underfunding, there's an urgent need to catch
up for some countries. And I want to thank the prime minister once again for traveling here today, working together. I believe that we'll once again demonstrate the power of our countries' unique friendship.
This is indeed a unique friendship. It's been many years, and I think it's only gotten stronger. And we will make sure that it stays that way. We're going to have a great trade agreement one way or the other. We're going to end up with a very good trade agreement for both countries, and we're working on that as we speak. I think we'll have the confines.
I think we'll have something maybe even in terms of possibilities, agreed to very shortly. J.D. is working on it, our vice president, and Scott, and I'm just looking at this all from Mike. You're going to work on it. Everyone's going to work on it. We'll see if we can do something pretty quickly, but we're going to make some great trade agreements with the U.K. and with the prime minister, and it will happen very quickly.
So I just want to thank you again and please thank King Charles for the invite. And I look forward to your giving our acceptance on behalf of the United States of America. Thank you very much, sir.
Thank you. Great. Thank you. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you for your hospitality. Thank you for your leadership. This has been a very good and very productive visit. And with your family roots in Scotland and your close bond with his majesty the king, it's good to know that the United Kingdom has a true friend in the Oval Office. And it was so good to see the bust of Winston Churchill back in its rightful place just a moment ago.
But look, in a moment of real danger around the world, the relationship. This relationship matters more than ever. We remain each others first partner in defense, ready to come to the other's aid to counter threats wherever and whenever they may arise. No two militaries are more intertwined than ours. No two countries have done more together to keep people safe.
And in a few weeks, we mark VE Day, the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe. Britain and America fought side by side to make that happen, one of the greatest moments in our history. We stand side by side still today, and we're focused now on bringing an enduring end to the barbaric war in Ukraine.
Mr. President, I welcome your deep and personal commitment to bring peace and to stop the killing. You've created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal, a deal that I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world. That is the prize. But we have to get it right.
There's a famous slogan in the United Kingdom from after the Second World War, that is, that we have to win the peace, and that's what we must do now, because it can't be peace that rewards the aggressor, or that gives encouragement to regimes like Iran.
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We agree, history must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader. So the stakes, they couldn't be higher. And we're determined to work together to deliver a good deal. We've discussed a plan today to reach a peace that is tough and fair, that Ukraine will help shape, that's backed by strength to stop Putin coming back for more.
Now, I'm working closely with other European leaders on this, and I am clear that 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.
Mr. President, in this new era, you're also right that Europe must step up. And let me tell you now, I see the growing threats we face. And so the U.K. is all in. This year, we'll be giving more military aid to Ukraine than ever. And just this week, I have set out how were shouldering more of the security burden. We're already one of the biggest spenders in NATO, and now we're going much further, delivering Britain's biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War.
This isn't just talk, it's action, rebalancing the transatlantic alliance, making us all stronger and standing up for our shared values and shared security, as Britain always has.
Mr. President, it's no secret were from different political traditions, but there's a lot that we have in common, and we believe it's not taking part that counts. What counts is winning. If you don't win, you don't deliver. And were determined to deliver for the working people of Britain and America who want and deserve to see their lives improve.
So we're both in a hurry to get things done. And that's what the U.K. and U.S. do when we work together. We win and we get things done.
So we'll do what it takes to keep our people safe. We'll also work together to deliver some big economic wins that can benefit us both. We have a $1.5 trillion invested in each others economies, creating over 2.5 million jobs across both economies.
Our trading relationship is not just strong, it's fair, balanced and reciprocal. We're leaders together in so many areas, ranked one and two in the world as investment destinations, one and two for universities, one and two for Nobel Prizes, one and two in golf as well, by the way, and we're the only two Western countries with trillion dollar tech sectors, leaders in A.I.
And look, we take a similar approach on this issue. Instead of over- regulating these new technologies, we're seizing the opportunities that they offer. So we've decided today to go further, to begin work on a new economic deal with advanced technology at its core. Look, our two nations together shaped the great technological
innovations of the last century. We have a chance now to do the same for the 21st century.
I mean, artificial intelligence could cure cancer. That could be a moonshot for our age. And that's how we'll keep delivering for our people. There are so many opportunities. Keep our nation strong and fulfill the promise of greatness that has always defined this relationship.
Finally, to undermine -- to underline the importance of this bond, it was my privilege and honor to bring a letter with me today from his majesty the king. Not only sending his best wishes, but also inviting the president and the first lady to make a state visit to the United Kingdom, an unprecedented second state visit. This has never happened before. It's so incredible. It will be historic.
And I'm delighted that I can go back to his majesty the king and tell him that President Trump has accepted the invitation. So thank you.
Our teams will now work together to set a date, and we look forward to welcoming you in the United Kingdom. Thank you once again.
TRUMP: Thank you very much. What a beautiful accent. I would have been president 20 years ago if I had that accent.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.
A couple questions.
Okay. Let's see here. Go ahead please.
REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President. Earlier today, you told me that you believe that foreign countries pay tariffs. But Americans who are concerned about higher prices believe, as most people do, that they're paid by consumers and importers when they import things into this country. Can you explain how you came to this belief that foreign governments are paying tariffs?
And for the prime minister, did you discuss with President Trump his repeated statements of desire to annex Canada? And has the king expressed any concern over the president's apparent desire to remove one of his realms from his control?
TRUMP: So I'll go ahead to the first part. The tariffs are necessary because we've been treated very unfairly by many, many countries, including our friends, friend and foe. But we've been treated very unfairly in trade at levels that nobody has really ever seen before. And especially under the Biden administration, they really took advantage of the United States.
I put massive tariffs on China during my four years. We had the best economy in the history of our country, probably the best economy, maybe the best economy in the history of the world. And I had I used tariffs to even things up, and in particular with China, we took in hundreds of billions of dollars and we had no inflation. And it's a myth. It's a myth that's put out there by foreign countries
that really don't like paying tariffs, and especially to even up. So we've been treated badly by a lot. We're using tariffs. And I find -- and if you just have to look at the numbers. But I find that it's not about inflation. It's about fairness and the inflation for us has not existed. And I don't think its going to exist.
We're going to bring our car industry back. We're going to bring our chips back. We're going to bring so many things back to our country, including pharmaceuticals and drugs. And the thing that's going to get us there is tariffs.
And I say often it's my favorite word in the dictionary. But I always preface it by saying now because I got into a lot of trouble with the fake news where they say that's not good. So I say, God, love, family, wife, they're all my favorite words. But tariff is about number four or five on the list.
But I will tell you, it's going to make our country rich and it's going to stop us from being a laughingstock all over the world because we have been taken advantage of like no country has ever been taken advantage of. Thank you very much.
STARMER: And look, we had a really good discussion, a productive discussion, a good discussion, as a result of which our teams are now going to be working together on an economic deal. Our team is going to be working together on security in Ukraine.
You mentioned Canada. I think you're trying to find a divide between us that doesn't exist. We're the closest of nations and we had very good discussions today, but we didn't discuss Canada.
TRUMP: That's enough. Thank you.
Please go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Yes. Thank you.
REPORTER: Thank you. Hi. Natasha Clark from LBC.
TRUMP: Hi.
REPORTER: Mr. President, you said you're working on a new trade deal with Britain, which we, of course, welcome. President Obama once said Britain was at the back of the queue for that trade deal. Where are we now? When do you think we're going to see that?
And prime minister, the BBC has today admitted serious flaws over the recent Gaza coverage, suggestions of payments made to people linked to Hamas. Does the BBC, BBC still have your trust? Thank you.
TRUMP: Well, they didn't do well with President Obama. He never got a lot of things done and he didn't get a trade deal done that was of any importance or magnitude.
We have -- we've had great discussions on trade, and I think we're going to have a deal done rather quickly, as quickly as it can be done. We're going to have something, I think, rather quickly. We expect to do that. Okay?
Please?
STARMER: On the BBC, look, I've been concerned about the program in question. The secretary of state had a meeting with the BBC. I think it was yesterday. Could have been the day before. Thank you.
TRUMP: Jeff, go ahead.
REPORTER: Thank you, sir. Pardon me.
Mr. President, do you support Article Five of the NATO treaty? And are you concerned that it might be triggered if European peacekeeping forces end up in Ukraine?
TRUMP: I support it. I don't think were going to have any reason for it. I think were going to have a very successful peace. And I think its going to be a long lasting peace.
And I think it's going to happen hopefully quickly. If it doesn't happen quickly, it may not happen at all.
And we want it for two reasons. Number one, I want to see on a humane basis, I want to see soldiers stop getting shot because largely it's soldiers now. Towns have been obliterated, but it's largely that. And I don't want to pay billions and billions and billions of dollars, nor does the prime minister or anybody else on a senseless war that should have never happened.
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And we're going to get it taken care of. But I think it's going to be a peace that's going to be long lasting.
Do you have a question for the prime minister?
REPORTER: Thank you.
Mr. Prime Minister, you were asking the president today about a backstop for Europe if the peacekeeping force ends up in Ukraine. Did you feel like you got a satisfying answer for yourself and for Europe? And, Mr. President, if you want to comment on that as well, please do.
STARMER: I felt we had a very productive discussion. Obviously, as the president says, the deal has to come first. But yes, our teams are going to be talking about, how we make sure that deal sticks, is lasting, and enforced. So our teams will be talking about that.
TRUMP: Okay. Please, Blue (ph)?
REPORTER: Mr. President, some experts think it could take more than a decade to mine the precious minerals from Ukraine. How much should the U.S. expect to receive? And when do you expect to see that come to fruition?
TRUMP: Well, we're never going to know that answer. But by our being in Ukraine and doing the exploration and also the digging and taking the rare earth which we need in our country very badly, we'll be doing a substantial amount of work, probably about at least what we have in there. And we hope to be able to do that.
You never know when it comes to that, you know, you dig? And maybe things aren't there like, you think they're there, but we'll be spending a lot of time there. It will be great for Ukraine. It's like a huge economic development project. So it will be good for both countries. Okay?
Please?
REPORTER: Prime Minister, excuse me, Prime Minister, you've talked about putting British soldiers boots on the ground in Ukraine. In the event that president Trump succeeds with his peace deal. But can you do that without a firm assurance that America will have our back in the form of some kind of security guarantee, were Putin to breach that agreement?
And, Mr. President, tomorrow you're seeing President Zelenskyy to sign this deal on minerals and energy. That could be hugely important to the United States. Will you take the opportunity to apologize to him for calling him a dictator while praising Vladimir Putin, who is a dictator?
STARMER: Well, Robert, let me start by saying I've been really clear today and previously that I think that European countries, including the United Kingdom, need to step up in our own defense and security. We've been doing that in recent days. You saw the announcement we made on spending just the other day. In addition to that, I've made it clear that the United Kingdom will play its full part in ensuring that, if there's a deal and we hope there is a deal in Ukraine, that that is a lasting deal, that sticks and we're obviously working with other European countries on that, France, and NATO in particular.
But we -- I've got -- I think I'm hosting 18 countries on Sunday to further our discussions. You heard from the president this morning, that, you know, has -- has historically has always been the case. We have each other's backs. And today we've been talking about the deal, how that will be a lasting deal.
And coming out of this, our teams will now be talking in detail about that.
TRUMP: And I think we're going to have a very good meeting tomorrow, 11:00. And I think we're going to have a very good meeting tomorrow morning. We're going to get along really well. Okay?
We have a lot of respect. I have a lot of respect for him. We've given him a lot of equipment and a lot of money, but they have fought very bravely. No matter how you figure it, they have really fought. Somebody has to use that equipment. And they have been very brave in that sense.
Yeah. Please go ahead. REPORTER: And so, the Gaza ceasefire deal is nearing an end this
Saturday, and there's been some worry that phase two might never get there. Do you believe that phase two of the ceasefire in Gaza will come to fruition? And have you spoken to Netanyahu about it?
And for the prime minister, this peacekeeping deal has been pushed forward by the U.K. and France as well. Have you been in discussions with any other European countries to join this in this initiative? And are you expecting commonwealth countries to also join the effort? Thank you.
TRUMP: So we're working very hard on the Middle East and Gaza and all of the problems. And it's been going on for years and years and centuries and centuries. It's a -- it's a tough neighborhood, but it could be a very beautiful neighborhood. And I think we're going to come up with some pretty good solutions.
But, phase one is almost complete. We've had some people that have been very seriously injured, very seriously hurt, both physically and mentally.
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They've come out of there very, very -- and some of them are in very, very bad shape. It's shocking. Many young people, young people aren't in bad shape. Young people are strong, healthy. They don't die. People have come out dead, young people and old people.
It's a rough situation, but I think we're going to make it much better. And I think that we've had a huge impact on that since we've been in just the four weeks. I think we've had a huge impact on Gaza, the Middle East, and we have some pretty good talks going on concerning lots of other people that are going to make it better.
So we'll see what happens. Nobody really knows, but we'll see what happens. But I think we've had a very positive impact.
Prime Minister?
STARMER: Yeah. On the question of the European countries -- yes, I've spoken to a number of countries, particularly in the last few weeks. We had a meeting in Paris last week. I've got a meeting on Sunday with 18 countries to further our discussions.
Obviously, we've been talking quite intensely to our French colleagues and to NATO, but to other countries as well, because, as I say, I think it's important for European countries, including the United Kingdom, to step up and do more in the defense and security of Europe and our continent, in the United Kingdom. And we will do so.
Well, we're talking to a number of other countries.
TRUMP: Thank you.
Yes. In the red, please? Pink red. Flaming red.
REPORTER: Is it me or her?
TRUMP: Go ahead.
REPORTER: Okay. Thank you, Mr. President.
A question on Ukraine. Number one is, if you're not considering the security guarantees, are you open to other forms of, for example, intelligence cooperation with Ukraine?
And, Mr. Prime Minister, President Trump has proposed a plan for Gaza. Does this fit into the two-state solution that the U.K. held for a long time? Do you see it fit into your general Middle Eastern strategy?
Thank you so much.
TRUMP: Yeah, thank you very much. We're open to many things. But before I even think about that, that's almost pleasant to think about because that would mean that peace has been arrived at. We have to arrive at that peace.
And, you know, you went three and a half years with an administration that never even really had a meeting. They didn't have a meeting on peace. And there was no prospect of peace. I think, frankly, Russia wanted to go through the whole long deal. I don't think they do anymore. I don't think they do. We had a very big impact on that whole situation.
But I don't like talking about phase two until I get phase one. Phase one is I have to make peace and we have to get Russia to agree. We have to get Ukraine to agree. And I think we will. I think we've come a long way. I believe we're going to get it done. I wouldn't say that if I didn't think so. And I think it will be, very important, very historic. And we're going to save a lot of -- a lot of lives.
STARMER: On the question of Gaza, the last few weeks of the ceasefire have been very impactful. And for me, there are two images that I remember more than any other.
The first is Emily Damari, who is British being reunited with her mother. You may remember she had her fingers missing after what she endured. That was an incredible moment. I had spent a lot of time with her mother whilst she was held captive. And, her mother went through absolute torture.
The other image was thousands of Palestinians marching through rubble, trying to return to their communities and their homes.
So we have to do everything we can to ensure that the ceasefire continues so that more hostages can be returned, so that aid can be brought in that's desperately needed.
And we -- we need to allow Palestinians to return and to rebuild their lives. And we must all support them in doing that. And yes, I believe that the two-state solution is ultimately the only way for a lasting peace in the region. TRUMP: And think of that. She came home with her fingers and part of
her hand blown off.
STARMER: That's terrible.
TRUMP: How bad does it get? And we had others that came home in much, much worse shape than that.
STARMER: Yeah.
TRUMP: It's a terrible situation. Please. Yes.
REPORTER: Thank you.
Mr. President, did our prime minister persuade you not to put tariffs on the U.K.?
And if I may, Prime Minister, do you think that Vladimir Putin is a man who will keep his word? Thanks.
TRUMP: He tried. He was working hard, I'll tell you that. He -- he earned whatever the hell they pay him over there. But, he tried.
We -- I think this is a very good chance that in the case of these two --
