US business presence in Ukraine would be ‘backstop’, Trump suggests
Sir Keir Starmer has already said he is prepared to deploy British troops as part of a force to safeguard any peace deal.
Donald Trump has suggested the presence of US businesses in Ukraine under a deal with Volodymyr Zelensky would act as an effective “backstop” against another Russian invasion if a ceasefire is agreed.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was using his trip to the White House to push for US military assets to provide surveillance, intelligence and – potentially – warplanes providing air cover to deter Vladimir Putin from launching another bid to conquer his neighbour.
Sir Keir has already said he is prepared to deploy British troops as part of a force to safeguard any peace deal, but only if the US offers security guarantees to European soldiers.
He told a press conference he will meet with 18 countries on Sunday to discuss the Ukraine war and stressed the importance of European countries doing more “in the defence and security of Europe”.
The Prime Minister said he and Mr Trump had a “very productive discussion” about a US security guarantee for a Ukrainian peace deal, and asked if he felt satisfied about the so-called backstop after discussions with Mr Trump, he said: “I thought we had a very productive discussion.
“Obviously, as the President says, the deal has to come first. But, yes, our teams are going to be talking about how we make sure that deals sticks, is lasting, and enforced. So, our teams will be talking about that.”
Mr Trump said the US is working towards a “very achievable ceasefire” in Ukraine.
Sir Keir corrected the president when he claimed Europe but not the US was getting back some of the cash it has provided to Ukraine.
Mr Trump said he had a “very good relationship” with the Ukrainian leader, adding: “It maybe got a little bit testy because we wanted to have a little bit of what the European nations had. You know, they they get their money back by giving money, we don’t get the money back. Biden made a deal. He put in 350 billion dollars and I thought it was a very unfair situation.”
Sir Keir intervened to say: “We’re not getting all of ours. I mean, quite a bit of ours was gifted. It was given. There were some loans, but mainly it was gifted actually.”
French President Emmanuel Macron corrected Mr Trump on the same point during his visit to Washington earlier this week.
Asked if he could see a situation where US forces could be deployed as a backstop, Mr Trump said: “Well, there is a backstop. First, you have European countries, because they’re right there, we’re very far away, we have an ocean between us.
“But we want to make sure it works. So, I don’t know when you say backstop you mean a backstop psychologically, militarily or what.
“We are a backstop because we’ll be over there, we’ll be working in the country. That’s a great thing economically for them because when you talk about economic development we’re going to have a lot of people over there.
“So, we will be working in the country. I just don’t think you’re going to have a problem.”
Asked if the US would aid British peacekeepers if they were attacked by Russia, Mr Trump said: “I’ve always found about the British. They don’t need much help … they can take care of themselves … it sounds like it’s evasive but it’s not evasive.
“You know, the British have incredible soldiers, incredible military and they can take care of themselves. But if they need help, I’ll always be with the British, OK? … but they don’t need help.”
Sir Keir said “we’ve always been there, backing each other up”, but Mr Trump said: “Could you take Russia by yourselves?”
Mr Trump said he believed a peace deal would last if it was agreed: “I have confidence that if we make a deal, it’s going to hold.”
The Prime Minister echoed French President Emmanuel Macron by challenging Mr Trump’s assertion about the way Ukraine’s war effort had been financed by Western allies.
Mr Trump said European nations “get their money back” but “we don’t get the money back”.
Sir Keir told him: “Quite a bit of ours was gifted, it was given.”
The Prime Minister praised Mr Trump for “changing the conversation, to bring about the possibility that now we can have a peace deal”.
“We want to work with you make sure that peace deal is enduring, that it lasts, that it’s a deal that goes down as an historic deal that nobody breaches, and we will work with you to make sure that that absolutely happens,” Sir Keir added.
