British Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed that he experienced pressure from Washington to publicly criticize President Volodymyr Zelensky following a contentious meeting in the Oval Office last month, which resulted in the Ukrainian president leaving the White House prematurely.
In an interview with the New York Times (NYT) published on March 23, Starmer expressed that the U.K. is serving as a conduit between Ukraine and the U.S., noting that actions taken by President Donald Trump—such as expressing disapproval of Zelensky—have induced “a degree of disorientation.” He underscored that the most appropriate reaction is to remain unprovoked.
“On the day when the Oval Office encounter between President Trump and President Zelensky did not go particularly smoothly, there was pressure on us to respond with, you know, flowery adjectives to portray how others were feeling,” Starmer stated in the New York Times.
Starmer instead urged both parties to “try and get them back on the same wavelength.” He mentioned having a positive relationship with Trump and comprehending “what he’s trying to achieve.”
After the intense Oval Office confrontation on February 28, Starmer dispatched his national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, to Kyiv in order to counsel Zelensky on repairing relations with Trump. Subsequently, the British leader briefed Trump on the progress being made in Kyiv, facilitating a call between the two presidents, during which Zelensky openly supported Trump’s peace initiatives.
Despite this, Ukrainian officials continue to be wary regarding Washington’s efforts to foster a ceasefire. A U.S.-mediated 30-day ceasefire concerning energy infrastructure was agreed upon by Moscow and Kyiv on March 18, yet Russia persists in launching hundreds of drones at Ukraine, resulting in numerous civilian casualties.
The discord between Zelensky and Trump on February 28 sparked outrage in Ukraine, which only intensified when Washington momentarily suspended military intelligence aid on March 5. Concurrently, Trump has done little to exert pressure on Russia, other than issuing threats of sanctions.
U.S. negotiators are slated to hold separate discussions with Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Riyadh on March 24 to examine the proposal for a partial ceasefire. Thus far, the Trump team has only engaged in bilateral talks with each side individually, including meetings with Russia in Riyadh on February 18 and Istanbul on February 27, as well as meetings with Ukraine in Jeddah on March 11.
Starmer, a staunch advocate for Ukraine, has called on nations to unite in a “coalition of the willing” to provide Ukraine with a peacekeeping force. He cautioned that Putin will violate any peace agreement unless adequate security assurances are established.
“It must be made clear to Putin that severe consequences will ensue if he crosses any lines,” he stated on March 20.
Trump says efforts to end Ukraine war ‘somewhat under control’ just hours before deadly Russian strike on Kyiv
“I don’t think there’s anybody in the world that’s going to stop (Putin) except me,” Trump remarked shortly before three individuals lost their lives in Kyiv due to Russian drone strikes.
