The US president recently said Mr Zelensky “never should have started” the war in Ukraine before calling him a “dictator” who is “refusing elections.” On Monday, he declined to use the same label for Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has been in power since 1999, saying that he doesn’t use the word “lightly.”.
This has been characteristic of Labour’s approach to the new US leader, as Sir Keir also makes several commitments appearing to align with the president’s plan for peace in Ukraine.
In light of Trump’s comments, he has made his support for President Zelensky clear, but stopped short of criticising the US president outright.
Sir Keir Starmer is set to visit the White House on Thursday for his first meeting with US president Donald Trump since he was re-elected.
However, Sir Keir added that any European presence must come with a US “backstop,” as a “US security guarantee was the only way to effectively deter Russia.”.
