British Prime Minister Starmer meets with President Trump at the White House

Ahead of the meeting, President Trump, who wants NATO members to increase defence spending to 5% of the Bruto Interior Production, reiterated his stance that Europe should be “empowered”. He told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that American taxpayers “should not pay more than Europeans”.

In what seems to be an attempt to show compliance with President Trump's request Tuesday, Prime Minister Starmer announced a sudden increase of the United Kingdom defence budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. Prime Minister Starmer said that a year later the defence budget will increase to 2.6% of GDP.

When I meet President Trump, I will be clear: I want the relationship between our countries to be strengthened” Prime Minister Starmer told MPs in the British Parliament. He called the relationship with Washington “the most important” of his country.

Prime Minister Starmer told reporters Tuesday that increasing defence spending is a process that started three years ago, following the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022. The increase in spending will be financed by lowering the external world assistance budget. This assistance will now be only 0.3% GDP.

He acknowledged that the decision to increase defence spending was “accelerated”, while President Trump began meetings with Moscow, without the involvement of Ukraine or Europeans, and has made it clear that he is reducing American support for Europe's security.

President Trump thinks we should do more and I agree with him. That's exactly what I think. He added that he also intends to further increase defence spending to 3% in a possible future mandate, which will begin in 2029, following the upcoming elections.

During meeting with President Trump, Prime Minister Starmer will make efforts to reinforce the position that Europeans should be part of any discussion on the war in Ukraine, said Gness Weber from the German Marshall Fund.

It would be very strange to have a situation where the burden passes to Europeans, but not the responsibility and strategic reflection”, Mrs. Weber told American Voice.

In 2023, the United States spent 3.4% of GDP on defence, according to US government data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

European Peacekeepers

The meeting of Prime Minister Starmer comes after French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to the White House on Monday. The French president has proposed establishing a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine as a security guarantee against future Russian aggression, a plan that has the support of Prime Minister Starmer.

According to this scenario, the United States “would be doing less in normal time, but would be willing to help”, if a crisis breaks out, Michael OCEHanlon of the Institute of Bankings told the Voice of America.

It remains to be seen whether the plan will be realised given the different interests within NATO and the European Union, said Mr. O'Hanlon.

The most important question is whether the two leaders will have good relations? Do they have a common vision?

If so, then we are in a good position to make efforts to promote negotiations between Russia and Ukraine”, he added.

On Wednesday, President Trump signalled that Ukraine should be covering “NATO membership and that it should not expect much from Washington.

I won't offer any security guarantees. Europe must do this, because Europeans are their neighbour”, President Trump said.

In addition to discussing with Moscow, President Trump urges Kiev to reach an agreement on Ukraine's rare minerals and remuneration of funds provided by the Biden administration to support the country's war efforts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with President Trump at the White House on Friday.

tariff threats

The visit is a challenge for Prime Minister Starmer as he seeks to balance the interests of the United Kingdom with those of European allies while engaging with the new administration of the United States.

He would like to ensure favourable conditions for Britain in the event of setting American tariffs that could affect British exports. Washington has imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imported by European countries. President Trump is threatening to set other tariffs, saying the European Union has been a very unfair “” against America.

Prime Minister Starmer is “in a slightly delicate” position because Great Britain is not part of the European Union market, said Mrs. Weber from the German Marshall Fund.

For him, the fundamental issue is to avoid setting tariffs from America and try not to oppose Washington and at the same time follow a very confrontational line with the European Union”, she said.

British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said Wednesday she is convinced that US-Britain trade and investments would not be damaged due to President Trump's tariff threats. / VOA