Current Events > UK ruler Sir Keir Starmer says he knows he can trust Donald Trump

(+) Yeah! (+)

The PM hit back at comments the President made last week who suggested last week to Ukraine you shouldnt have started the conflict.And he took aim at Russias foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who yesterday said that Britain and France were heating up the war.

The PM told reporters on the plane to the US: There's one aggressor here and that's Russia, in clear breach of the UN charter.

Russia can end this conflict tomorrow by withdrawing and stopping their aggression. They are the aggressor. They have invaded and occupied a sovereign country in Europe, and they bear full responsibility for the conflict.

The PM also insisted he could trust the President and the pair have a good relationship - despite his relationship with Vladimir Putin, and insistence that Ukraine should not be a part of the peace talks.

There is no issue between the UK and the US on pushing for peace, he said.And he stressed again that there was no need for the UK to choose between one side or another - and that he can be the bridge between the two parts of the world.

The PM explained: Of course, the president has been very clear about the peace that he wants. He's right about that. We all want peace.

The question is, how do we make sure it's a lasting peace. There's no issue between us on this.

Russia and Putin would only come back for more if they didnt secure a proper deal for a lasting peace, he warned, adding: The security guarantee has to be sufficient to deter Putin from coming again.

My concern is, if there is a ceasefire without a backstop, it will simply give him the opportunity to wait and to come again because his ambition in relation to Ukraine is pretty obvious, I think, for all to see."

He said he would use the flying visit to make the case for the war-torn nation, and that he hopes to see the special relationship going from strength-to-strength.. particularly in a volatile world.

He added: And when it comes to prosperity, the economy and security and defence, we're working - as we always have done - in lockstep with the US."

Britain and France have proposed a joint peacekeeping troop plan with thousands of boots on the ground if needed.

The President discussed the plan with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday - and appeared to be open to the suggestion.But Russia has slapped down the idea.

The PM insisted: Well Im not answering to Putin.

Im considering how we preserve peace in Europe and how we get a lasting peace in Ukraine. And Im absolutely convinced that we need a lasting peace, not a ceasefire, and for that to happen we need security guarantees.

Precisely what that layers up, to what that looks like, is obviously a subject of intense discussion. We will play our part and Ive been clear that we will need a U.S. backstop of some sort.

However, on Thursday the President suggested he would prefer to see Europe lead the way in protecting a peace deal.

He said: Im not going to make security guarantees very much were gonna have Europe do that. Europe is their next-door neighbour.

The PM suggested the Royal Family may come up in his discussions with the President, saying hes very fond of them.But he declined to say whether he wanted to offer him a second state visit - insisting that was a matter for Buckingham Palace instead.

The pair will have talks at the Oval Office on Thursday, followed by a joint press conference at the White House.

Full Article: https://www.lbc.co.uk/politics/uk-politics/sir-keir-starmer-insists-he-can-trust-donald-trump/

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The Leopards would never eat his face after all

Famous last words before getting ate

...

Oh trust me. I'm British. I'm very familiar with Starmer and people like him. He'd sit there and let the leopards eat their fill without a word of protest. He's just that kind of worthless idiot. The only reason he's Prime Minister at all is because of protest votes at the corrupt and incompetent Conservative government we had at the time. There's no love for him whatsoever and he'll be gone after the next election.

Lillymon posted...

Oh trust me. I'm British. I'm very familiar with Starmer and people like him. He'd sit there and let the leopards eat their fill without a word of protest. He's just that kind of worthless idiot. The only reason he's Prime Minister at all is because of protest votes at the corrupt and incompetent Conservative government we had at the time. There's no love for him whatsoever and he'll be gone after the next election.

It's worse than a protest vote

The reason he won is because Reform, the even more far right party got 15% of the vote.

In almost every conservative stronghold that turned, they turned because Tory voters went "We're not Nazi enough. Our leader isn't even white!" and went for Farrage

It's terrifying

UnfairRepresent posted...

in lockstep with the US.

He said the thing

The BBC's political editor Chris Mason points out that Trump previously referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "dictator". Does he still believe that?
"Did I say that, I can't believe I would say that", Trump replies.

And, just like that, it was as if Trump had never said it.

UnfairRepresent posted...

It's worse than a protest vote

The reason he won is because Reform, the even more far right party got 15% of the vote.

In almost every conservative stronghold that turned, they turned because Tory voters went "We're not Nazi enough. Our leader isn't even white!" and went for Farrage

It's terrifying

That is true. I only thought of it after I'd hit post already. But yeah, Labour barely improved their vote total over 2019 and lost votes compared to 2017. Tactical voting in some constituencies and a whole lot of Tory/Reform vote splitting are they got that majority but Labour are convinced they're a bunch of electoral geniuses who won a historical mandate.

I think they're in for a rude awakening come 2028 or 2029.

Jeez this guy sounds like the UK's Anthony Albanese (Aussie Prime Minister, soon to be ex-PM because there's fuck all chance he wins reelection). General milksop who's incapable (or perhaps unwilling) to take measure of what direction the winds are blowing.

Still not as bad as Albo though. Couldn't believe my ears when he had the audacity to answer a question the other day on a show called Q&A where the public (screened obviously) can ask questions and he flat out said he was certain the US would honor its defence agreements. Like come the fuck on, even before Trump got into power the US "honored" its defence agreement with Ukraine by using their men and land to bleed Russia dry, not actually help them. Trump wouldn't just ignore our pact he'd outright go to Xi and ask what his bid is for China to just buy Australia, and then tell his psycho MAGA cult why it's actually a fantastic thing they sold us as slaves.

Starmer sounds like he's only a notch or two away from getting there though. What the fuck is with modern centrists? Actually delusional they are. The writing is on the wall about so many things and they just carry on like the house isn't burning down.

M1Astray posted...

Jeez this guy sounds like the UK's Anthony Albanese (Aussie Prime Minister, soon to be ex-PM because there's fuck all chance he wins reelection). General milksop who's incapable (or perhaps unwilling) to take measure of what direction the winds are blowing.

Still not as bad as Albo though. Couldn't believe my ears when he had the audacity to answer a question the other day on a show called Q&A where the public (screened obviously) can ask questions and he flat out said he was certain the US would honor its defence agreements. Like come the fuck on, even before Trump got into power the US "honored" its defence agreement with Ukraine by using their men and land to bleed Russia dry, not actually help them. Trump wouldn't just ignore our pact he'd outright go to Xi and ask what his bid is for China to just buy Australia, and then tell his psycho MAGA cult why it's actually a fantastic thing they sold us as slaves.

Starmer sounds like he's only a notch or two away from getting there though. What the fuck is with modern centrists? Actually delusional they are. The writing is on the wall about so many things and they just carry on like the house isn't burning down.

The sad thing is, Starmer as bad as he is is unironically better than any other candidate who has a chance of winning.

It's a different ballgame but a similar issue to the US with Biden/Harris.

The alternatives are idiots like Johnson, Sunak, Badenoch, Jenrick.

*Shudder*

He also threw us (Canada) under the bus. Fuck Starmer.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/trumps-tariffs/article/thats-enough-trump-shuts-down-talk-of-canada-during-news-conference-with-uk-pm/

Lillymon posted...

That is true. I only thought of it after I'd hit post already. But yeah, Labour barely improved their vote total over 2019 and lost votes compared to 2017. Tactical voting in some constituencies and a whole lot of Tory/Reform vote splitting are they got that majority but Labour are convinced they're a bunch of electoral geniuses who won a historical mandate.

I think they're in for a rude awakening come 2028 or 2029.

The one positive is that the right wing vote is now being splintered, just as the (relatively) left wing vote always has been.

I hope he is just manipulating Trump and isn't stupid enough to actually trust him.

Unsuprised_Pika posted...

I hope he is just manipulating Trump and isn't stupid enough to actually trust him.

All signs point to him being pretty damn stupid so....

Lillymon posted...

There's no love for him whatsoever and he'll be gone after the next election.

Quite possibly before. Starmer is aligned with Labour's right-wing faction but they never really regarded him as one of them, just as a useful idiot and a means to an end, and there's every chance they'll force him out in the hope of replacing him with one of their own (possibly Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who used to be president of the National Union of Students and has never grown out of it). They started manoeuvring to do it long before the general election, when it looked like Starmer had no chance in hell of winning it, but changed their minds when the Tories' disintegration (first Partygate, then Liz Truss demolishing the economy) changed that.

Thanatos_the_Great posted...

Quite possibly before. Starmer is aligned with Labour's right-wing faction but they never really regarded him as one of them, just as a useful idiot and a means to an end, and there's every chance they'll force him out in the hope of replacing him with one of their own (possibly Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who used to be president of the National Union of Students and has never grown out of it). They started manoeuvring to do it long before the general election, when it looked like Starmer had no chance in hell of winning it, but changed their minds when the Tories' disintegration (first Partygate, then Liz Truss demolishing the economy) changed that.

Fuck, they're going to go even further right!? Just how far has the overton window been pushed in the UK?

The minister for international development has just resigned in protest at Starmer's decision to slash the foreign aid budget in order to increase military spending.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/28/anneliese-dodds-resigns-keir-starmer-cut-aid-budget

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/28/anneliese-dodds-soft-left-intellectual-pushed-to-resign-over-starmers-slide-right

Thanatos_the_Great posted...

The minister for international development has just resigned in protest at Starmer's decision to slash the foreign aid budget in order to increase military spending.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/28/anneliese-dodds-resigns-keir-starmer-cut-aid-budget

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/28/anneliese-dodds-soft-left-intellectual-pushed-to-resign-over-starmers-slide-right

The senior Labour MP, who attended cabinet, warned that the UK pulling back from development would bolster Russia, which has already been aggressively increasing its presence worldwide, as well as encouraging Chinas attempts to rewrite global rules.
She predicted that the prime minister would find it impossible to deliver on his commitment to maintain development spending in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine with the diminished budget.

No lies detected.

Plus it's not even about the amount being spent, it's about what is being spent on

The UK has spent billions on upgrading Trident to have even more devistating nuclear capabilities with no indication whatsoever that it's actually accomplished anything.

Honestly everyone in Europe need to get their military upgraded and ready for action.

Holy Christ. I'm no Starmer acolyte either, but not understanding the political reality of needing to use rhetoric, even against all hope, is what a good politician should be doing.

The UK regrettably cannot ignore the US, and he has to be seen to be doing everything he can to maintain or mend relationships.

Also people mentioning vote totals, as if that means anything under a first past the post voting system, need to give their head a wobble.

djsporty92 posted...

The UK regrettably cannot ignore the US, and he has to be seen to be doing everything he can to maintain or mend relationships.

Like Chamberlain maintained our relationship with Hitler.

djsporty92 posted...

Also people mentioning vote totals, as if that means anything under a first past the post voting system, need to give their head a wobble.

Actually it means an awful lot as far as the next election is concerned - it means that only a small swing against Labour, much smaller than you might think, could greatly reduce or even wipe out their majority.

djsporty92 posted...

And if Starmer starts appeasing Trump by offering him portions of other countries, I'll agree that he is as bad as Chamberlain.

Trump trying to exploit Ukraine for mineral rights or Gaza for beachfront property doesn't count?

Didn't mean to delete that post. Here it is again.

Thanatos_the_Great posted...
Like Chamberlain maintained our relationship with Hitler.

And if Starmer starts appeasing Trump by offering him portions of other countries, I'll agree that he is as bad as Chamberlain. Engaging in talks does not inherently mean surrendering to an aggressor. The failure of appeasement lay in the concessions made without guarantees, not in the act of diplomacy itself.

Actually it means an awful lot as far as the next election is concerned - it means that only a small swing against Labour, much smaller than you might think, could greatly reduce or even wipe out their majority.

Yes, that potential exists if the swing is uniform across the seats Labour won by a small margin. I was more referring to the stratergy of intentionally aiming to spread the numbers of votes they got out over a large number of constituencys, even if the total number of votes goes down from one election to the next. It is unlikely the same stratergy will work at the next election now that Labour is the incumbent party, which is why they actually have to noticeably improve people's lives between now and the next election.

darkace77450 posted...

Trump trying to exploit Ukraine for mineral rights or Gaza for beachfront property doesn't count?

Starmer isn't doing the appeasing in those scenarios. Which was the original point of the analogy. For the avoidance of doubt, those are obviously both horrific for different reasons.