Keir Starmer seeks to leverage his relationship with Donald Trump in the context of supporting Ukraine amid diplomatic discussions. As European leaders prepare to back Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in talks with Trump, Starmer's role aims to reinforce Britain as a bridge between US and European interests. He emphasizes Europe’s red lines while seeking US security guarantees for Ukraine. Starmer’s proactive diplomatic efforts, including personal meetings and gestures, have reportedly resulted in Trump expressing favorable sentiments about him, despite their divergent political views.
Starmer has shown his willingness to throw the diplomatic kitchen sink at efforts to keep Trump on side, including in February handing the president a written invitation from the king for an unusual second state visit.
Starmer has very deliberately sought to position himself as a leader who can get along with Trump while consistently stressing to him Europe's red lines over any peace plan, and trying to sweet-talk the president into offering US security guarantees.
The idea of Britain being some sort of bridge between US and European interests is something of a longstanding UK diplomatic cliché, and not one that always necessarily carries much meaning.
Such efforts have yielded results, with Trump repeatedly saying how much he likes Starmer, despite their very obvious political differences.
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