Five key takeaways from Trump-Starmer meeting in UK

Wrapping up a three-day travel to the United Kingdom, United States President Donald Trump projected a agreed beforehand with his counterpart, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, connected a assortment of issues and emphasised the confederation betwixt the 2 countries contempt caller tensions.

Trump spoke to reporters alongside Starmer connected Thursday, lauding the hospitality helium received successful Britain.

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For his part, Starmer declared the US and the UK “first partners” successful trade, defence and technology.

In caller months, immoderate European countries person been irked by Trump’s trade policies and his shaky committedness to Ukraine successful its warfare with Russia.

But the lukewarm invited Trump received successful the UK and his associated remarks with Starmer connected Thursday reflected rock-solid ties betwixt Washington and London, which officially near the European Union successful 2020.

Here are immoderate cardinal takeaways from the Trump-Starmer presser:

Trump says Putin fto him down

The US president again told reporters that helium did not expect that resolving the struggle betwixt Russia and Ukraine would beryllium truthful difficult, and voiced disappointment successful Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I thought it would beryllium easiest due to the fact that of my narration with President Putin, but he’s fto maine down. He’s truly fto maine down,” Trump said.

For his part, Starmer underscored that the UK is starring a alleged conjugation of the consenting to assistance Ukraine fend disconnected the Russian invasion.

“We’ve discussed contiguous however we tin physique our defences, further enactment Ukraine, and decisively summation the unit connected Putin to get him to hold to a bid woody that volition last,” the UK premier minister.

‘One of the worst days successful the past of humanity’

As Israel pushes up with its run of famine, wide killings, displacement and destruction successful Gaza, Trump repeatedly invoked Hamas’s October 7 onslaught erstwhile addressing the crisis.

Even erstwhile asked specifically astir Israel’s systemic levelling of what remains of Gaza City, Trump went backmost to October 7.

“You bash recognize astir October 7 – 1 of the worst days successful the past of humanity,” helium said.

Hamas and different Palestinian groups killed 1,200 Israelis and took much than 200 captive during the onslaught astir 2 years ago.

Since then, Israel has killed much than 65,140 Palestinians successful a run that United Nations investigators, academics and starring rights groups person described arsenic a genocide.

Trump said 1 of his “few disagreements” with Starmer is implicit the UK’s pledge to recognise a Palestinian state.

But the UK premier curate earned a literal pat connected the backmost from the US arsenic helium condemned Hamas.

Neither person denounced Israeli policies against Palestinians.

Trump, who has been saying for months that an extremity to the warfare successful Gaza could beryllium close, reiterated that assertion.

“We’re moving precise hard connected Israel and Gaza,” helium said. “All that’s happening implicit determination [is] complex, but it’s going to get done. It’ll each get done right.”

US president praises NATO

Long seen arsenic a sceptic of the NATO subject alliance, Trump lauded the bloc and its chief, Mark Rutte, for stepping up subject spending.

“I privation to convey NATO and our fantastic caput of NATO, who’s truly worked precise hard – Mark – for the occupation they’ve done,” Trump said.

He voiced appreciation for the bloc’s pledge to increase subject spending by its members to 5 percent of their respective gross home merchandise (GDP).

“We’re sending a batch of weapons to NATO,” Trump said. “NATO is paying for those weapons successful full, but we’re sending them, and we’re doing a large occupation astatine getting them what they need, and we admit the information that they’re taken attraction of.”

NATO has a communal defence treaty, meaning an onslaught connected immoderate subordinate is considered an onslaught connected all.

Return to Bagram

The US president again criticised the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan successful 2021 nether his predecessor, erstwhile US President Joe Biden.

But portion repeating his disapproval of the withdrawal this time, helium hinted astatine a imaginable woody with the Taliban for the US subject to instrumentality to the Bagram airbase successful Afghanistan.

“We’re trying to get it back, by the way,” Trump said of the base.

“OK, that could beryllium a small breaking news. We’re trying to get it backmost due to the fact that they request things from us. We privation that basal back. But 1 of the reasons we privation the basal is – arsenic you cognize – it’s an hr distant from wherever China makes its atomic weapons.”

The US has not recognised the Taliban authorities that came into powerfulness aft the US subject withdrawal from the country.

Since the Taliban takeover, Washington has besides imposed dense sanctions against Kabul.

‘Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person’

Trump addressed the sacking of American TV big Jimmy Kimmel by ABC, which came aft suggestions by the caput of the national broadcasting regulator that authorities whitethorn instrumentality enactment against the web implicit comments by the comedian.

Kimmel had accused conservatives of utilizing the sidesplitting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk “to people governmental points” and suggested that the slayer is simply a Trump supporter.

But Utah Governor Spencer Cox said that the suspected shooter, who has been charged with aggravated murder, has “leftist ideology”.

The termination of Kimmel – portion of a broader propulsion by Republican officials to occurrence people implicit Kirk-related comments – has raised concerns implicit curbing escaped code successful the US.

But Trump claimed that Kimmel was sacked owed to debased viewership.

“Jimmy Kimmel was fired due to the fact that helium had atrocious ratings much than thing else, and helium said a horrible happening astir a large man known arsenic Charlie Kirk. And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person,” the US president said.

“They should person fired him a agelong clip ago. So, you know, you tin telephone that escaped code oregon not. He was fired for deficiency of talent.”