For all their declarations of mutual admiration and close alignment, President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were unable to maintain a united front on the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The two leaders both insisted they want a ceasefire but were at odds over the best way to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has in recent weeks amped up attacks on Ukraine and sent drones into NATO airspace.
Trump, during a joint press conference outside London on Thursday, told reporters that he remains disappointed in Putin but evaded multiple questions about what he planned to do next.
“He’s really let me down,” Trump said of Putin, before pivoting to the “seven wars” he’s worked to end.
Starmer, who said Trump has “led the way” in trying to end the war in Ukraine, was far firmer about the need for increasing economic pressure on Moscow — and blunt in pointing out that Putin has ramped up his attacks on Ukraine after his summit with Trump last month.
“In recent days, Putin has shown his true face mounting the biggest attack since the invasion began, with yet more bloodshed, yet more innocents killed, and unprecedented violations of NATO airspace,” Starmer said. “These are not the actions of someone who wants peace.”
In an implicit rebuttal to Trump’s claim that the U.S. and Britain were geographically at a remove from the fighting and that the war “doesn’t affect” either country, Starmer noted that Russia in recent days has targeted the British Council in Kyiv as well as the European Union’s embassy there, as well as the drone incursions into NATO air space.
Putin’s latest targets, Starmer said, show a new “recklessness,” as he called for a stronger response. “We have to put extra pressure on Putin,” Starmer said. “It’s only when the President has put pressure on Putin that he’s actually shown any inclination to move.”
Trump, asked again toward the end of the press conference about whether he’s ready to impose additional sanctions on Russia, said that Europe needed to take action first to end oil purchases from Russia.
“If the price of oil comes down, Putin’s going to drop out. He’s going to have no choice,” Trump said. “I’m willing to do other things, but not when the people that I’m fighting for are buying oil from Russia.”
