UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer surprises US President Donald Trump with an official letter from King Charles III, inviting the US leader to a second state visit.
During his meeting with US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer did not turn up empty-handed. Part-way through their opening remarks, the prime minister reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out an official letter from King Charles III – an invitation for a second state visit. ‘Am I supposed to read it right now?’ Trump appeared to be genuinely taken back for a few seconds, asking: After taking a minute to read the letter, Trump said he accepted the invitation and that it would be an ‘honour’ to visit the ‘fantastic’ country.
Sir Keir Starmer is a British politician who has been the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party since 2020.
He previously served as the Shadow Brexit Secretary from 2016 to 2019.
Born on September 2, 1962, in Southwark, London, Starmer studied law at Cambridge University and was called to the bar in 1987.
He became a Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015 and has been a vocal advocate for workers' rights and social justice.
Trump’s Desire to Take Charge
While cordial, the initial meeting in the Oval Office between Sir Keir and Trump left no doubt that the US president hoped to be firmly in charge. Trump dominated the conversation and took charge of calling on reporters, a pattern seen six times with foreign leaders at the Trump White House.
Similarities Between Starmer and Trump
Despite their differences, Trump said: ‘He loves his country, and so do I.’ The two men also share a liking for each other’s countries. However, it is worth noting that they come from different schools of politics – both in style and substance.
Trade Deal and Security Guarantees
Sir Keir had a number of tricky topics to raise with Trump, including trade and US security guarantees for Ukraine. At the beginning of their news conference, he called his counterpart ‘a very tough negotiator’. While Trump said there was ‘a very good chance’ of a trade deal ‘where tariffs wouldn’t be necessary’, he has not yet committed to such an agreement.
Chagos Islands Deal
Trump said he was ‘inclined to go along with’ the UK’s Chagos Islands deal. The UK is in talks with Mauritius about handing over the territory but continuing to lease one of the islands, Diego Garcia, which contains a UK-US military airbase.
The Chagos Islands deal refers to a 1966 agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius, which led to the removal of the Chagossian population from the islands.
The UK agreed to grant independence to Mauritius in exchange for the island chain's separation.
Today, the archipelago is home to the US military base at Diego Garcia.
Critics argue that the deal was unfair and led to the displacement of the native Chagossians.
Zelensky and Ukraine
In a surprising move, Trump appeared to have softened his attitude towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. After being asked about his previous comments calling Zelensky a ‘dictator’, Trump replied: ‘Did I say that? I can’t believe I would say that.’ In the news conference later, Trump praised Zelensky as ‘very brave’ and said the pair got on ‘really well’. Talking about the potential for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, Trump said ‘progress towards peace’ would continue when Zelensky visits the White House on Friday.
Volodymyr Zelensky is a Ukrainian politician, actor, and comedian who became the President of Ukraine in 2019.
Born on January 25, 1978, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, he rose to fame with his role as Vasyl Petrenko in the popular TV series 'Servant of the People.'
After winning the presidential election with over 73% of the vote, Zelensky took office and has since been instrumental in leading Ukraine's response to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
He is known for his charismatic leadership and efforts to reform Ukraine's government and economy.
Free Speech Criticism
US Vice-President JD Vance was also present in the Oval Office during the meeting. At the Munich Security Conference last week, he attacked the UK and other European democracies, warning that ‘free speech is in retreat’. Trump called on his deputy to defend himself, while Sir Keir cut in, saying: ‘we’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom – and it will last for a very, very long time’. He rejected Vance’s claim, saying ‘in relation to free speech in the UK, I’m very proud of our history there’.
