Donald Trump has suggested the presence of US businesses in Ukraine under a deal with Volodymyr Zelensky would act as an effective “backstop” against another Russian invasion if a ceasefire is agreed. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was using his trip to the White House to push for US military assets to provide surveillance, intelligence and – potentially – warplanes providing air cover to deter Vladimir Putin from launching another bid to conquer his neighbour.
Sir Keir has already said he is prepared to deploy British troops as part of a force to safeguard any peace deal, but only if the US offers security guarantees to European soldiers. Asked if he could see a situation where US forces could be deployed as a backstop, the US President said: “Well, there is a backstop. First, you have European countries, because they’re right there, we’re very far away, we have an ocean between us.
“But we want to make sure it works. So, I don’t know when you say backstop you mean a backstop psychologically, militarily or what. “We are a backstop because we’ll be over there, we’ll be working in the country. That’s a great thing economically for them because when you talk about economic development we’re going to have a lot of people over there.
“So, we will be working in the country. I just don’t think you’re going to have a problem.”. Asked if the US would aid British peacekeepers if they were attacked by Russia, Mr Trump said: “I’ve always found about the British. They don’t need much help … they can take care of themselves … it sounds like it’s evasive but it’s not evasive.
“You know, the British have incredible soldiers, incredible military and they can take care of themselves. But if they need help, I’ll always be with the British, OK? … but they don’t need help.”. Sir Keir said “we’ve always been there, backing each other up”, but Mr Trump said: “Could you take Russia by yourselves?”.
Mr Trump said he believed a peace deal would last if it was agreed: “I have confidence that if we make a deal, it’s going to hold.”. The Prime Minister echoed French President Emmanuel Macron by challenging Mr Trump’s assertion about the way Ukraine’s war effort had been financed by Western allies.
Mr Trump said European nations “get their money back” but “we don’t get the money back”. Sir Keir told him: “Quite a bit of ours was gifted, it was given.”. The Prime Minister praised Mr Trump for “changing the conversation, to bring about the possibility that now we can have a peace deal”.
