Keir Starmer in Washington (Image: Getty)
Keir Starmer will tell Donald Trump that he fears Russian dictator will launch another attack on , when the US and UK leaders hold a crunch meeting today.
Speaking to journalists on his way to Washington, Sir Keir said Putin could “try again” after ‘s attempt to invade three years ago ended in a stalemate.
The Prime Minister is trying to convince Mr Trump to commit the US military to provide a “backstop”, such as providing air support, to help UK and other European troops who could go to as a peacekeeping force.
Sir Keir said: “The U.K. will play its part in that with others .But we need a U.S. backstop, because I don’t think there will be a deterrent to Putin if we don’t have that.
“I understand the gravity of the situation, but this is about ensuring that we all enjoy peace. It’s about the security and defense not just of and Europe but our own security and defense.”
And he said: “The reason I say the backstop is so important is that the security guarantee has to be sufficient to deter Putin from coming again.
“Because my concern is if there is a cease-fire without a backstop, it will simply give him the opportunity to wait and to come again because his ambition in relation to is pretty obvious, I think, for all to see.”
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However the US President said he would not provide security guarantees “beyond very much”, insisting it was for Europeans to protect .
The US President has said will visit him on Friday to sign an economic deal that will include US access to Ukrainian rare earth minerals.
But the Ukrainian President earlier said that the framework agreement did not yet include the US security guarantees that Kyiv sees as vital.
Mr Zelensky is expected to come to the UK at the weekend.
Mr Trump, who has launched efforts with to find a quick peace deal to end the conflict, has called Mr Zelensky a “dictator” and suggested he was to blame for starting the war.
But Sir Keir said it was clear that Russian president Mr Putin was “the aggressor” – and that there were “no issues” with Mr Trump on that.
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Mr Trump’s overtures to Mr Putin, and his decision to side with the Kremlin’s allies in Belarus and North Korea at the United Nations – against , the UK and major European powers – have severely tested the Nato alliance.
Asked whether he could trust Mr Trump following the events of recent weeks, Sir Keir said: “Yes, I’ve got a good relationship with him.
“I’ve met him, I’ve spoken to him on the phone and this relationship between our two countries is a special relationship with a long history, forged as we fought wars together, as we traded together.
“I want it to go from strength to strength.”
The Prime Minister will hope the promise to increase defence spending to a 2.5% share of the economy from April 2027 helps persuade Mr Trump that European nations are serious about the security of their continent.
Sir Keir wants to act as a bridge between the US and European continental allies, and said he had been having “really intense discussions with our European partners, with Nato, with , and obviously with US teams as well”.