British PM Starmer to Meet Trump at White House

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to discuss pressing issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and strengthening bilateral trade ties. The talks come amid rising tensions over U.S. tariff threats on European goods and Trump's demands that Europe reduce its reliance on U.S. support for security.

Ahead of the meeting, Trump reiterated his call for NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product, criticizing European nations for not shouldering enough of the financial burden. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he emphasized that American taxpayers should not bear the full cost of defending Europe.

In response, Starmer unveiled a surprise plan on Tuesday to increase the U.K.'s defense spending to 2.5% of its GDP by 2027, with a further increase to 2.6% the following year. This move appears to be an attempt to align the U.K. with Trump’s position on defense spending, following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Starmer stressed that the increase would be funded by reducing Britain’s foreign aid budget to just 0.3% of its GDP.

"This week, when I meet President Trump, I will be clear: I want this relationship to go from strength to strength," Starmer told members of the British Parliament, underlining the importance of the U.K.-U.S. alliance. He also confirmed that the decision to ramp up defense spending had been expedited by the shifting dynamics in European security, particularly as Trump has sought to negotiate with Moscow independently, without the involvement of Ukraine or European nations.

Starmer expressed agreement with Trump’s stance on defense, stating, "President Trump thinks we should do more, and I agree with him. It chimes with my thinking on this." He also indicated plans to further increase defense spending to 3% of GDP in the next Parliament, following the next general election in 2029.

A key point for Starmer during the meeting will be reinforcing the need for European nations to play a role in discussions surrounding Ukraine’s future, said Gesine Weber, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund. "It would be very odd to shift the burden to Europeans but exclude them from strategic decisions," she noted.

The meeting follows a visit earlier this week by French President Emmanuel Macron, who proposed the creation of a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine as a countermeasure against future Russian aggression—a plan Starmer has supported. Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution suggested that if Trump and Starmer align on these issues, it could signal a unified Western strategy to end the war and support NATO’s collective defense.

On Wednesday, Trump indicated that the U.S. would not offer Ukraine the same level of support it has provided in the past. "Forget about NATO membership," he said, adding that European countries, as Ukraine’s neighbors, should bear more of the responsibility for its security.

Aside from security concerns, Starmer will also seek to manage the ongoing tariff threats from the U.S. against European goods. Trump has already imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from the EU and has warned of more measures, claiming that the European Union has been "very unfair" to America. Starmer’s challenge lies in balancing the U.K.’s interests, given its departure from the EU single market, while trying to avoid a confrontation with the European Union.

British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves expressed confidence that U.K.-U.S. trade relations would not be severely impacted by Trump’s tariff threats, despite the delicate position Starmer finds himself in.

Starmer's visit is also marked by significant diplomatic discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will meet Trump at the White House on Friday.