The Prime Minister has insisted that he will use the talks to reiterate his “ironclad support” for Ukraine as well as secure “enduring peace to bring an end to Russia’s illegal war”.
The rise in tensions has come ahead of the three-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which will take place on Monday.
Here is what Starmer hopes to achieve from his talks with Trump:
Starmer has stated he wants to use his talks with Trump to secure a firm commitment from the US regarding Ukraine’s sovereignty amid concerns that a peace deal could mean major territorial concessions.
Moscow currently controls around a fifth of Ukrainian territory, and Zelensky has demanded that these regions be liberated. However, the US administration has appeared to dismiss this call.
“We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognising that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,” he said.
Another factor in the negotiations is what role European and US troops will play in securing peace in Ukraine if conflict ceases.
The US administration has stated it will not send troops to support the peace process, with Hesgeth insisting that “any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops”.
Zelensky’s involvement in negotiations
Relations have been strained between the US and Ukraine after the former held peace talks with Russian officials earlier this month without inviting anyone from Zelensky’s administration. A further round of talks is also due to take place on Tuesday, again without Ukraine.
She did, however, insist that Ukraine should be part of negotiations going forward.
It is expected that Zelensky is unlikely to accept any peace deal that his country hasn’t had a hand in securing, and the Ukrainian president has appeared to criticise the US for strongarming the process.
However, Trump has staunchly defended his decision to exclude Ukraine, claiming that Russia “has the cards” in the negotiations.
“He’s been at a meeting for three years, and nothing got done. So, I don’t think it’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you. He makes it very hard to make deals.”
Trump was heavily critical of Nato throughout his campaign to become president, frequently claiming that European members were not spending enough on defence.
Speaking in early January from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said: “Europe is in for a tiny fraction of the money that we’re in. We have a thing called the ocean in between us, right? Why are we in for billions and billions of dollars more money than Europe?”
Nato members are required to spend at least 2 per cent of GDP on defence each year as of 2024, but only 23 of the 32 members are expect to have achieved that.
The UK currently spends 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence, but Labour has pledged to increase this to 2.5 per cent when the economy allows. The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK have all backed hitting this number by 2030.
But this could put him in a difficult position at home, as meeting the 2.5 per cent commitment could cost the UK an additional £6bn a year.
Halting US tariffs
Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on the UK and other trading partners, which has sounded alarm bells across the world.
In regards to Europe, he has taken aim at the introduction of value-added tax (VAT) on goods and has claimed the US is “going to call it a tariff”.
Trump added: “I’ve decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff. It’s fair to all. No other country can complain.”
Industry experts have predicted that if Trump does impose a reciprocal tariff on VAT in the UK, it coule mean exporters to the US face 21 per cent in additional charges when other duties are taken into account.
No direct tariffs have yet been imposed on the UK, and high on Starmer’s agenda will be discussing with Trump how such measures can be avoided.
The UK signed several deals with the previous US administration covering green energy, steel tariffs and visa waiver programmes, and these could prove a starting point for further deals.
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