Russia’s Putin has ‘let me down’, says Trump, as UK state visit ends
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US President Donald Trump (left) and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivering a press conference at Chequers, the country residence of British Prime Minister, on Sept 18.
PHOTO: EPA
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- Donald Trump expressed disappointment in Vladimir Putin, stating Putin "really let me down" regarding the Ukraine war, despite Trump's efforts.
- Keir Starmer secured US commitments for Ukraine, navigating disagreements with Trump on Palestinian state recognition and migration but strengthening trade ties.
- Trump's UK visit included royal pageantry, tech deal signings with £150 billion investment pledges, amidst protests and Starmer's political challenges.
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CHEQUERS, United Kingdom - Donald Trump warned that Russia President Vladimir Putin had “really let me down” as he met Prime Minister Keir Starmer for wide-ranging talks on Sept 18, the final day of the US president’s historic UK state visit.
A day after King Charles III treated Mr Trump to royal pageantry at Windsor Castle, the Republican flew to Mr Starmer’s Chequers country residence for talks on thorny issues including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Mr Starmer has positioned himself as a bridge between Mr Trump and European allies, particularly on the war in Ukraine, in a bid to secure more commitments for Kyiv from the US leader.
And his calls, repeated again on Sept 18, for more international pressure on Mr Putin appear to be gaining more traction with Mr Trump, who slammed the Russian leader for continuing the war despite his efforts to stop the fighting.
Mr Trump told a post-talks press conference that he had thought the Ukraine conflict would be the “easiest” to end “because of my relationship with President Putin, but he’s let me down. He’s really let me down.”
He urged European nations to stop buying Russian oil, saying that “if the price of oil comes down, Putin’s going to drop out of that war.”
‘Unbreakable bond’
Mr Starmer’s warm tone with the 79-year-old Mr Trump has won some leniency in the president’s tariff war, with the British leader saying on Sept 18 the trade deal
But Mr Trump said that the pair had “one of our few disagreements” about the UK’s plan
The US leader also offered strong thoughts on illegal migration in the UK, revealing that “I told the Prime Minister I would stop it”, even if it meant calling in the military.
Earlier in the day, Mr Trump hailed America’s “unbreakable bond” with Britain as he and Mr Starmer signed a huge tech deal,
At the signing ceremony, attended by a host of US tech CEOs, Labour leader Mr Starmer said he and Republican Mr Trump were “leaders who genuinely like each other.”
The deal comes on the back of pledges of £150 billion (S$260 billion) of investment into the UK from US giants including Microsoft, Google and Blackstone.
Mr Trump had earlier said goodbye to King Charles at Windsor, calling him a “great gentleman and a great king” as he left the castle heading to Chequers.
Appealing to Mr Trump’s admiration for British wartime leader Winston Churchill, Mr Starmer led the US president on a tour of Churchill artifacts at Chequers.
Mr Starmer is facing political troubles at home after sacking his ambassador
Sex offender Epstein has also haunted Mr Trump over recent weeks, with further revelations about the pair’s relationship in the 1990s and early 2000s.
‘Highest honours’
Having negotiated the potentially perilous press conference relatively unscathed, Mr Starmer can claim some justification for granting Mr Trump an unprecedented second state visit, with investment deals and deepening alignment on Ukraine to show for the diplomatic effort.
Mr Trump was on Sept 17 lavished with the full pomp and circumstance of the British state
“This is truly one of the highest honours of my life,” Mr Trump said at the state banquet.
The king, meanwhile, hailed Mr Trump’s peace efforts and support of Ukraine, after a day featuring gun salutes, soldiers on horseback, and bagpipes, all designed to appeal to the US president’s fascination with royalty.
But he also stressed to Mr Trump the need to protect the environment for “our children, grandchildren, and those who come after them”.
US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump walking to board Air Force One at Stansted Airport, north of London, on Sept 18, to head back to Washington.
PHOTO: AFP
Mrs Melania Trump remained in Windsor on the morning of Sept 18, where she met scouts with Princess Catherine, and viewed Queen Mary’s Doll’s House with Queen Camilla.
The US First Lady’s husband was kept far from the British public, with an estimated 5,000 people marching through central London on Sept 17 to protest against his visit.
Mr Trump was due to return to Washington later on Sept 18. AFP
