Keir Starmer Supports Trump on Europe’s Defense Spending

London (Eurotoday) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has acknowledged that U.S. President Donald Trump has a point in urging European nations to take on a greater share of their collective defense responsibilities, according to a report by the New York Times.

We need to think about defence and security in a more immediate way,

he stated in an interview with the New York Times.

Starmer is working to establish a multinational military coalition, which he refers to as a “coalition of the willing,” aimed at safeguarding Ukraine’s airspace, ports, and borders following any peace agreement, the report noted.

Regarding Trump, Starmer commented,

On a person-to-person basis, I think we have a good relationship.

However, he also noted that the U.S. president’s actions—including the imposition of a 25% tariff on British steel and his confrontational approach towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy—had caused “quite a degree of disorientation.”

Officials from the British military and defense sector anticipate that several nations will eventually contribute aircraft, naval forces, or personnel to the initiative. Yet, despite the political and diplomatic uncertainties, Starmer emphasized the need for leadership.

If we only move at the pace of the most cautious,

he said,

then we’re going to move very slowly and we’re not going to be in the position we need to be in.

Why did Trump’s envoy dismiss Starmer’s Ukraine defense plan?

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer’s proposal for an international force to uphold a ceasefire in Ukraine has been dismissed as “a posture and a pose” by Donald Trump’s special representative.

Steve Witkoff argued that the plan was based on a “simplistic” view, with Starmer and other European leaders believing “we have all got to be like Winston Churchill.”

Speaking in an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson, Witkoff praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he “liked” him.

I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy,

he stated.

He’s super smart.

Witkoff, who recently met with Putin, described the Russian leader as “gracious” and “honest.” He mentioned that Putin had prayed for Trump following last year’s assassination attempt and had commissioned a portrait of Trump as a gift, which reportedly moved the former U.S. president.

During the interview, Witkoff also reiterated several Russian narratives, claiming that Ukraine is “a fictitious country” and questioning when the occupied regions of Ukraine will be formally recognized as part of Russia.