Donald Trump invited for unprecedented second state visit, says Starmer
The US president said he would be visiting the UK in “near future” as he met the Prime Minister at the White House.
Mr Trump and Sir Keir are meeting for crunch talks on Ukraine, trade and technology, with the Prime Minister set to push his US counterpart on the idea of a US “backstop” for any peace deal with Kyiv.
Sir Keir handed Mr Trump a letter from the King as the two were facing cameras in the Oval Office ahead of the more in-depth talks.
Chagos Islands deal
Mr Trump was also hosted by the late Queen on a state visit during his first term in office in 2019, but precedent for second-term US presidents who have already made a state visit is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W Bush and Barack Obama.
Mr Trump also said he is “inclined to go along with” the UK’s Chagos Islands deal and said they would be having discussions about the deal during their meeting.
He added: “I have a feeling it’s going to work out very well.”
Indicating he would be inclined to back the Prime Minister’s deal, the president said: “I think we’ll be inclined to go along with your country.”
Mr Trump had greeted Sir Keir with a warm handshake as he arrived minutes earlier and said that “we can” reach a peace deal on Ukraine, when asked by reporters.
The two then entered the White House followed by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and the UK’s ambassador to the US Lord Mandelson.
‘Honour’
Greeting the Prime Minister inside the White House, Mr Trump said it was a “great honour” to have Sir Keir visit.
“It’s a very special place and he’s a special man – and the United Kingdom is a wonderful country that I know very well, I’m there a lot.
“I’ll be going there and we expect to see each other in the near future – we’ll be announcing it,” he added.
Mr Trump said: “We’re going to be discussing many things today, we’re going to be discussing Russia/Ukraine, we’ll be discussing trade and lots of other items, and I think we can say we are going to be getting along on every one of them.
“We’ve had a tremendous relationship and, frankly, the Prime Minister and I have met twice before, and we get along very famously, as you would say, and I look forward to it very much.
“We look forward to the day and the meeting, and we’ll be having a luncheon after this, and then another work session, and I believe we’re going to have a press conference at the end – so I look forward to it and, Mr Prime Minister, thank you very much.”
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A state visit for a felon. How low the UK and monarchy falls.
Steve, he’s not the first felon to be greeted in such fashion. So many of the rogues who have stolen fortunes from their own countries, many of them colonies that fought hard to be liberated from European colonial rule, have been feted on state visits or similar events. Since the 60’s and possibly earlier bribery and enabling fraud on a grand scale by a select few “allies” was a foreign policy tool among the big powers – UK, USA, France, USSR, China….. Those who benefitted were easily identifiable but got propped up until another suitable candidate came along. Mobutu, Bokassa,… Read more »
Nige and the cons will be upset inviting a convicted felon and sexual predator to the uk.
starmers goose is cooked now. Lets hope the felon and abuser gets a great British welcome.
unrelated. How long to tomatoes take to go rotton, still chuckable by not mush?
Why on earth is the MacSweeny/Starmer Regime offering that maniac a state visit? That is clearly an act of homage which is totally inappropriate in my opinion.
I think the King might be in on it, after all he has been longer at this Statecraft thing than those two oiks put together…
Feed the Magpie Pete…or shoot it…
Problem is the distance that the PM will put between us and the EU with this IF it works. 47 is renowned for fibbing and reneging on deals.
That and asking a deeply unpopular convicted felon and abuser to the UK but its OK cos its Nige’s and Kemi’s type of abuser so they will be happy.
Bet nige needs a new change of under wear at this news.
Walking on a beach earlier, a rainbow appeared to come out of the roof of a clifftop church, even I was impressed, my old man, a half century resident of its graveyard, must know something, I hoped…
Known in the trade as ‘God’s Bow’ !
So Trwmp cometh, not to kiss the hand of the King, rather slip off all his rings and leave with the crown jewels…
I have two copies of Baby Trump maybe I can get him to sign them…
If the UK escapes tariffs it won’t be because of this charm offensive, it’ll be because we don’t sell them anything. Even tiny Ireland sells more to the US.
England’s establishment falling over each other to ingratiate themselves to an arrogant tinpot dictator. Dear me, how England has fallen.
Protest day in the US today. Be interesting to see how it works. They are going for an economic blackout day. Don’t spend anything. Could do that when the abuser and convicted felon gets here.
Did starmer ask for tate back?