Trump visit should be possible to shore up US support for Ukraine – Swinney
The comments come as relations between Ukraine and the US have been strained.
A state visit to the UK by American President Donald Trump should be possible if it shores up US support for Ukraine, First Minister John Swinney has said.
Relations between the two countries have become strained since Mr Trump took office in January, culminating in an extraordinary meeting in the White House on Friday which devolved into a shouting match with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On Monday, the US announced a freeze to all aid heading to Ukraine.
Following the Oval Office spat, Scotland’s First Minister said a state visit – which had been proposed through a letter from the King to Mr Trump delivered by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last week – would be “unimaginable” if American support for Ukraine was rescinded.
But speaking before the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Swinney suggested the visit could be used as a bargaining chip to shore up support for the invaded nation.
Mr Trump is famously a fan of large displays such as those seen during state visits, having previously proposed a military parade through Washington DC in 2018.
“Right now, today, as we stand here, men, women and children in Ukraine are putting their lives and their freedom on the line to defend their country and all our democracies,” the First Minister said.
“We say we support them – and we do. But that means being willing to do things that are hard; things we would rather not do.
“So, if a state visit could help solidify US support for Ukraine, if that is part of what supporting Ukraine means in practice, then it is a possibility.
“For that to be true, however, the US would have to sustain the steadfast support of Ukraine, her independence and territorial integrity.”
The First Minister, who was speaking as the Ukrainian Consul in Edinburgh watched from the public gallery, went on to pledge Scotland’s “fullest support” for the country, adding: “Here in Scotland, we will, forever, stand with Ukraine.”
Both the leaders of the Scottish Tories and Scottish Labour – while being supportive of the thrust of the First Minister’s remarks – appeared to attack comments from SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, who was branded a “keyboard warrior” by the Prime Minister after urging him to “get off his knees” and rescind the state visit offer.
“For the sake of the heroic people of Ukraine, suffering slaughter at (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s hands, politicians in this country should recognise the responsibility that we have,” Tory leader Russell Findlay said.
“It is critical to do what we can to repair, rather than exacerbate, these rifts.
“Grandstanding comments, such as those from some senior SNP politicians, are self-indulgent and counter-productive.
“They risk sowing division between western allies to the delight of the Kremlin and other despotic and dangerous regimes.”
Mr Findlay said Russia wants to see a “fragmented West”, and asked how the First Minister’s comments about the cancellation of the statement “would help fragile Western unity”.
The Tory leader went on to describe the Oval Office meeting as “disturbing” and “seismic”.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the situation required “serious grown-up leadership, not Twitter diplomacy”.
“It’s an issue of war and peace, life and death,” he said.
“So politicians should not resort to childish attacks on social media for perceived party interest, but instead prioritise peace and the national interest.”
Scottish Green leader Patrick Harvie praised Mr Zelensky’s conduct in the White House, saying he “told the truth and challenged Russian propaganda”, saying Scotland was “outraged” that the US would “abandon them”.
Mr Harvie went on to ask about the country’s cyber defences and if US companies in the sector should be considered a threat in light of the past few days.
Mr Swinney said the Scottish Government “must be certain we are doing all that we can” to protect the country’s data systems, adding that Justice Secretary Angela Constance will regularly brief ministers on the issue.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the Oval Office meeting was “appalling” and a “premeditated act” where Mr Trump and his vice president JD Vance sought to “humiliate one of the bravest leaders of our time on the international stage”.
“It feels like America could be on the verge of a betrayal of Ukraine,” he added.
“But asking the King to withdraw the offer of state visit will throw away the most significant leverage that we may have to influence Trump’s thinking on Ukraine and America’s place in the Western alliance.”
