US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (February 27) that a minerals deal with Ukraine is the security guarantee Kyiv needs against Russia, brushing aside a plea from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a commitment of more U.S. military support, Reuters reports.
Starmer, who was meeting Trump at the White House for the first time since the U.S. leader started his second term, turned on the charm, saying peace in Ukraine had only become possible because of Trump.
Trump said on Thursday that his attempts to arrange a cessation in violence between Russia and Ukraine are moving along rapidly and he was hopeful for progress.
Starmer said the peace deal both leaders discussed would be "tough and fair," and that Britain was prepared to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support it.
Starmer is the latest European leader to meet Trump after French President Emmanuel Macron came to the White House on Monday for a friendly encounter that nonetheless displayed stark differences about Russia's war with Ukraine and the U.S. push for a quick ceasefire.
