Donald Trump said he trusted Russia's Vladimir Putin to stick to any Ukraine ceasefire Thursday, as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer tried to win security guarantees for Kyiv - with the help of a royal invitation to visit Britain.
Trump struck a friendly tone as he and Starmer met in Washington and even walked back a comment about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky being a dictator that alarmed European capitals, saying, "Did I say that?"
But Trump also insisted that he trusted Putin to honor any truce with Ukraine, contradicting Starmer's warnings that a lack of a US "backstop" for a deal would encourage Putin to stage a repeat of his February 2022 invasion.
Britain and France have both offered to deploy peacekeeping troops for Ukraine but want US guarantees of help, including aerial and satellite surveillance and possible air power.
"I think he'll keep his word," Trump told reporters as he sat alongside Starmer in the Oval Office when asked about Putin.
"I spoke to him; I've known him for a long time now, I don't believe he's going to violate his word."
Trump added that Britain can "take care of themselves, but if they need help, I'll always be with the British."
Starmer had said on the plane to the US capital that a "ceasefire without a backstop" would let Putin "wait and to come again" at Kyiv.
“Did I say that?”
The British premier told Trump at the White House that he wanted to "work with you to make sure that peace deal is enduring" but that it was also a "deal that nobody breaches."
Starmer then handed Trump - a long-term fan of Britain's royals - a letter from King Charles III inviting him for an unprecedented second state visit by a US president.
"This has never happened before; this is unprecedented," said Starmer.
The invitation was a clear attempt to woo Trump amid growing concerns in Europe that the US leader is ready to sell Kyiv short and take Russia's position on a deal.
Those fears intensified last week when Trump called Zelensky a "dictator without elections" - but with Starmer at his side, Trump jokingly downplayed the jibe.
"Did I say that? I can't believe I said that," Trump responded when asked whether he stood by the comment he made on his Truth Social network. "Next question."
Trump will host Zelensky at the White House on Friday, where the two leaders are expected to sign a deal giving Washington access to Ukraine's rare minerals, which Trump has demanded as payback for US military aid.
Zelensky had hoped the deal would contain US security guarantees, but it appears to omit them.
“Trade-off”
Starmer's visit comes days after a similar visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, who came away effectively empty-handed despite saying there had been a "turning point" with Trump.
Trump has long pushed for European nations to take more of the burden for Ukraine's defense and their own.
A senior Trump administration official said the backstop was "obviously very high on our European allies' agenda" but said securing a proper ceasefire first was more important.
"The type of force depends very much on the political settlement that is made to end the war. And I think that trade-off is part of what the leaders today are going to be discussing," the official told reporters.
The meeting promised to be a clash of styles between the mild-mannered Labour leader, a former human rights lawyer, and the brash Republican tycoon.
Starmer, who will hold a joint press conference with the US president, has pitched himself as a "bridge" between Trump and Europe on Ukraine.
The British premier came bearing another gift for Trump - an increase in defense spending.
A Trump administration official said they were "very pleased" by Starmer's announcement on Tuesday that UK defense spending will rise to 2.5 percent by 2027.
Danny Kemp and Peter Hutchison, with AFP
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