Asked about the fact that European countries including Ukraine have been absent from talks between Washington and Moscow, she told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: “Well this is of course what the Prime Minister will be discussing with President Trump next week – how we can work with the US administration to ensure that lasting settlement.
Mr Trump called Ukraine’s leader a “dictator” on Wednesday and later said the British Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron, both of whom will visit the White House next week, “haven’t done anything” to end the war.
Asked whether the Prime Minister would promise Donald Trump that Britain will spend “much more” when he meets the US President next week, Ms Phillipson told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “Let’s be clear, 2.5% is ambitious.
The Prime Minister, along with other European allies and UK opposition parties, has backed Mr Zelensky as a “democratically elected leader” but has avoided directly criticising Mr Trump.
Sir Keir’s meeting with Mr Trump will be a critical moment in his leadership amid fragile relations between America and Europe after the US leader launched an extraordinary verbal attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week.
