Fearing Alliance Fracture, Zelensky Urges Trump and Starmer to Meet Promptly
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly urged US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to sit down together and find common ground. This call comes in the wake of Trump’s repeated sharp criticisms of the British leader.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC following talks with Starmer, Zelensky emphasised the importance of the two leaders “reloading the relationship”. The tension was triggered by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which have broadened into a diplomatic dispute among NATO allies.
Zelensky warned that divisions among Western leaders would have fatal consequences. He expressed a “very bad feeling” about the impact of the war in Iran on Ukraine’s fate, which has been facing a Russian invasion for four years.
“I really want President Trump to meet with Starmer… so they have a common position,” Zelensky stated. He added that negotiations towards peace in his country continue to be delayed for one reason: “The war in Iran.”
Relations between London and Washington are indeed being tested. In his latest attack last Tuesday, Trump called Starmer “not Winston Churchill”. Although he considers Starmer a “good man”, Trump openly admitted to being “disappointed” with what he sees as a lack of British military action.
In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stood firm. Downing Street affirmed that the UK will not be dragged into a wider war, while continuing to emphasise that the US-UK relationship remains “special and enduring”.
During his visit to London, Zelensky also had the opportunity to address members of Parliament at Westminster. He highlighted the dark partnership between Moscow and Tehran, which he views as a real threat to European stability.
“The regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred, which is why they have become brothers in arms,” Zelensky asserted. “We want regimes built on hatred never, ever to win in anything.”
Zelensky’s visit to London is part of a marathon tour to European capitals to ensure support for Ukraine does not wane amid the heating situation in the Middle East. After Paris and London, Zelensky is scheduled to head to Madrid on Wednesday. (BBC/Z-2)