British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was visiting the White House on Thursday to try to convince President Donald Trump that a lasting peace in Ukraine will endure only if Kyiv and European leaders are at the table as negotiations move forward with Moscow.

At the White House, Starmer and Trump discussed a fair peace deal for Ukraine, with Britain ready to deploy troops and planes to support it. “We discussed a plan today to reach a peace that is tough and fair, that Ukraine will help shape, that is backed by strength, to stop Putin from coming back for more,” Starmer stated.

I’m certain that the UK is prepared to send boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a settlement, working with our friends, because that is the only way to ensure long-term peace.” Starmer’s trip, which comes just a few days after French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit, underlines growing worry in Europe that Trump’s vigorous drive to end Russia’s war in Ukraine suggests a willingness to yield too much to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Starmer called for “sufficient” security guarantees for Ukraine, telling reporters on the plane to Washington: “If there is a ceasefire without a backstop, it will simply give him (Putin) the opportunity to wait and come again, because his ambition in relation to Ukraine is pretty obvious.” “We’re going to do everything we can to make the best deal possible for both sides,” Trump declared Wednesday during his first Cabinet meeting of his second term. “For Ukraine, we’re going to try very hard to make a good deal so that they can get as much (land) back as possible.”

However, the Republican president’s rapprochement with Russia has alarmed America’s traditional friends in Europe. They have found themselves on their heels as Trump returns to the White House with a resolve to drastically alter US foreign policy to align with his “America First” worldview.

Last week, the Trump administration met with Russia without representation from Ukraine or other European allies. This week, the United States declined to endorse UN resolutions blaming Russia for the war, which began three years ago when Moscow invaded. The changing White House attitude of Ukraine under Trump is causing a tectonic shift in transatlantic relations. His administration is disputing claims that Trump is neglecting Europe or is overly ready for settlement talks with Putin. “He hasn’t conceded anything to anyone,” stated Vice President JD Vance. “He’s performing the duties of a diplomat.

“He hasn’t conceded anything to anyone,” stated Vice President JD Vance. “He’s doing the job of a diplomat.” Trump’s visit with Starmer comes just one day before he meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. The two leaders are scheduled to sign a difficult agreement Friday that will grant the US access to Ukraine’s key minerals, which are utilized in the aerospace, defense, and nuclear industries. Zelensky had objected to signing off on an agreement without clear security guarantees from Washington.

Trump was ambiguous about any future American security assurances. “I’m not going to make security guarantees … very much,” Trump said reporters. “We’re going to have Europe do that.” If a truce is achieved, Starmer and Macron have both agreed to send soldiers to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping operation to ensure that violence between Ukraine and Russia does not resume. However, White House officials are skeptical that Britain and France can gather enough troops from across Europe, at least at this point, to deploy a credible peacekeeping operation to Kyiv.

Trump is also viewing the situation as an opportunity to potentially reestablish business relations with Russia following three years of US-led sanctions attempts to punish Moscow for the invasion. Starmer will convene an international leaders’ gathering on Ukraine on Sunday in the United Kingdom. Zelensky is anticipated to attend. This week, the Prime Minister also revealed intentions to increase the UK’s defence budget. That should please Trump, who has criticized European partners for spending too little on defense.

Starmer’s government plans to expand military spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027, years earlier than predicted, with a goal of reaching 3 percent by 2035.