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On Thursday, February 27, 2025, President Donald Trump expressed confidence that Russia’s Vladimir Putin would uphold any ceasefire agreement in Ukraine, a stance he shared during a Washington meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was pushing for firm security commitments for Kyiv—bolstered by a strategic invitation from Britain’s monarchy for a state visit.
The encounter between Trump and Starmer in the U.S. capital carried a warm vibe, with Trump dialing back earlier remarks that had rattled European leaders, where he’d labeled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator. With a chuckle, he mused, “Did I really say that?”—easing some transatlantic tension.
Yet, Trump held firm on his belief that Putin could be relied upon to respect a Ukraine truce, directly clashing with Starmer’s caution that without a solid U.S. safety net, the absence of such backing might embolden Putin to reignite hostilities, echoing his aggressive move in February 2022.
Both the UK and France have signaled readiness to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, but they’re banking on American support—think reconnaissance from the skies, satellite oversight, and potentially air support—to anchor their efforts and ensure stability.
“I think he’ll keep his word,” Trump told reporters as he sat alongside Starmer in the Oval Office when asked about Putin.
“I spoke to him, I’ve known him for a long time now, I don’t believe he’s going to violate his word.”
Trump added that Britain can “take care of themselves, but if they need help, I’ll always be with the British.”
Read also: Trump Must Stay Tough On Putin, Macron Insists
Starmer had said on the plane to the US capital that a “ceasefire without a backstop” would let Putin “wait and to come again” at Kyiv.
The British premier told Trump at the White House that he wanted to “work with you to make sure that peace deal is enduring” but that it was also a “deal that nobody breaches.”
Starmer then handed Trump — a long-term fan of Britain’s royals — a letter from King Charles III inviting him for an unprecedented second state visit by a US president.
“This has never happened before, this is unprecedented,” said Starmer.
The British royal invite was a unmistakable move to charm President Donald Trump, as unease swells across Europe that the American leader might be poised to undercut Kyiv and tilt toward Moscow’s stance in any settlement—an anxiety gnawing at the continent’s capitals.
That apprehension spiked last week after Trump branded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator without elections” in a fiery post, though he softened the blow with a playful shrug alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, quipping, “Did I really put that out there? Hard to believe I’d say that,” before briskly moving on with, “What’s next?”
Trump is set to welcome Zelensky to the White House on Friday, February 28, 2025, where the pair will ink an agreement unlocking Ukraine’s trove of rare minerals for U.S. use—a condition Trump has long tied to America’s military support, framing it as a fair trade.
Zelensky had pinned hopes on weaving U.S. security assurances into the pact, but early indications suggest those protections have been sidelined, leaving Kyiv’s wish list partially unfulfilled.
