ALBAWABA- US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met at Chequers on Thursday for a pivotal summit framed by the war in Ukraine and the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
While tensions flared over Middle East policy, the talks also yielded an ambitious new US-UK partnership on advanced technologies, underscoring the enduring weight of the transatlantic alliance.
Addressing the Ukraine war, Trump delivered a pointed rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he had “really let me down” by refusing to engage in ceasefire negotiations despite Trump’s attempts to broker direct talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The US leader hinted at new sanctions against Moscow but tied them to NATO allies halting purchases of Russian energy. “It takes two to tango,” Trump told reporters, framing the conflict as solvable only through reciprocal concessions.
Starmer struck a firmer note, pledging continued British military and humanitarian support to Kyiv. He warned that Russia’s aggression posed a direct threat to NATO’s eastern flank, aligning himself with European allies pressing Washington to adopt a tougher line.
The two leaders diverged sharply on Gaza, where Israel’s ongoing offensive has drawn global condemnation. Trump defended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rejected claims of “Israeli atrocities” as overstated, reiterating Washington’s backing of Israel’s right to self-defense.
Starmer, in contrast, emphasized the worsening humanitarian crisis, from blocked aid to rising civilian deaths. He signaled that Britain was prepared to recognize a Palestinian state “alongside like-minded partners” if Israel failed to agree to a ceasefire.
The split highlighted a potential fault line in transatlantic diplomacy, with Trump prioritizing Israeli security while Starmer sought to revive multilateral momentum for a two-state solution.
The summit capped Trump’s two-day state visit, marked by pageantry at Windsor Castle, a state banquet with King Charles III, and moments of protest in central London.
